Back to School With SIGG

Earlier this morning, I participated in a web chat with Michelle Conlin and several “green” bloggers to discuss her film project entitled No Impact Man.  I have an entire post dedicated to the project, but it definitely had me thinking about what MORE I can do to reduce my carbon footprint.

It seems simple enough… forgo BPA-laden plastic and opt for reusable bottles and food storage products. SIGG, the world leader in reusable, eco-friendly beverage bottles recently introduced their aluminum lunch boxes which are actually fashionable enough to be used for storing all kinds of things (think makeup, jewelry).

SIGG’s products are 100% recyclable and free from BPA or phthalates.  Their bottles are lined so that there is no lingering odor or taste.  The company offers a number of fun, vibrant kid’s designs for boys and girls.  My three year old is finally at a point where he understands the concept of drinking from bottles like this one.  I like the smaller 0.3 L size for tots since it holds about the amount of liquid he’s capable of drinking.

SIGG now offers customization.  You can visit their site to upload personal photos or create your own graphic with their image library to use on their products.

No compensation was received for this post. A product sample was provided by the company to facilitate this review.

Modern Baby Product Guide: mOmma

When I was pregnant with my son, I struggled to find more than one or two companies offering BPA-free bottles and feeding products.  It’s been three years, and I don’t think I could find a BPA-containing feeding product at Target if I wanted to (which is a good thing).  The challenge is now to decide which bottle, sippy cup, feeding set is most fitting for our children.

mOmma is a new line of feeding products that “combine innovation and technology to transform mealtime into an opportunity to play and learn.”  When I first opened up the feeding products, I was struck by their uniquely designed shapes.  My first thought was, did my toddler have the dexterity to utilize the fork/spoon and straw cup?  Could my almost 8 month old daughter, who’s nearly ready for a sippy cup actually drink from it?  Interestingly enough, the unique design of mOmma’s products is  supposed to make it easy for both infants and toddlers to eventually learn to eat and drink independently. Features like dual handles and round shapes help strengthen a child’s grip and make it easy for infants to grasp.  I’ve yet to see a company design feeding gear with a spherical base which keeps the products upright and prevents them from coming into contact with germ-ridden surfaces. And, the utensils come with protective lids which makes it easy and hygienic to tote along on outings.

A vast majority of sippy cups leak…either initially or eventually.  mOmma’s cups feature a non-spill lid and rubber-coated bottoms to prevent leaks and drips.  So far my 3 year old has managed to avoid the spills…when he isn’t trying to untwist the top of the straw cup.

I was surprised my daughter could grasp the utensils and sippy cup.  And my son was immediately intrigued by the bright colors and spherical designs.

mOmma’s line of feeding products are BPA and phthalate-free.  While I find them to be a bit higher priced than conventional products (around $10), I like their modern design and durability.

Now through September 10, you can enter a photo of your tot’s messiest mealtime moment for a chance to win a pack of mOMma products (retail value $104.50).  For more information, just visit their website or Facebook page.

{Photo: All rights reserved}

No compensation was received for this post. Product samples were provided via Team Mom to facilitate this review.

Innovative Feeding With Tommee Tippee

I never imagined I’d go through as many sippy cups and bottles as I have with my two children.  I’ve had almost 3 years of experience with nearly every bottle and sippy cup on the market so I have a pretty good idea of what works for my children. Because I just adore most European-designed products, I was thrilled to hear that Tommee Tippee, the number-one brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain, was making it’s debut in the US.

We were offered a first-look at their bottles and sippy cups, thanks to the company and Mom Bloggers Club.  To start with, I’ll tell you what I look for in both a bottle and a sippy cup.

1.  Anything that I use with my children must be BPA-free

2.  Bottles should mimic what a baby does while nursing to prevent confusion or rejection

3.  Bottles should have a venting system to prevent a baby from taking in too much air

3.  Sippy cups should not leak. Period.

4.  Ideally, bottles and sippy cup parts should be interchangeable.

5.  Both bottles and sippy cups should be ergonomically shaped and light weight so babies and tots can hold them (once old enough)

6.  Both bottles and sippy cups should be affordable since children go through a lot of them.

Our baby girl has taken less than 10 bottles in her entire 2 months of life.  For the first several months I prefer it that way. But more and more I’m allowing her a bottle here and there so that I  have the freedom to leave her for a few hours with my husband or my mom.  Tommee Tippee’s Closer to Nature line of bottles are designed with a “soft, wide nipple that naturally flexes and stretches” to mimic breastfeeding.  The natural shape allows the baby to latch on effortlessly to ease the transition from breast to bottle.  I waited too long to introduce a bottle to my son and he never took it well, particularly when I tried to give it to him.  We tried this bottle with our daughter (my mother gave it to her) when we went out for Valentine’s Day and she took it without a lot of effort or coaxing.  And I didn’t have any difficulty nursing her afterward.  I particularly like how soft the nipples are and I think that’s why she took it so easily. Here is a bit more information from the site:

Closer to Nature bottles are BPA-and Phthalate-free.  The ultra-sensitive anti-colic valve lets babies feed at their own pace with less air, vacuum build-up and nipple collapse, which can help reduce gas and colic while feeding. Nipples are progressively staged in slow, medium, fast and vari-flow rates to meet growing babies’ needs.

A 5 or 9 ounce bottle retails for $7.99 which is very inexpensive, considering that I have seen BPA-free baby bottles retail for up to $20 a bottle.

We also had an opportunity to review Tommee Tippee’s Explora line of sippy cups.  Their main selling point is that they’re spill and leak-proof.  I could tell you numerous tales of sippy cup failures.  Most of them can be attributed to the fact that the top snapped on rather than screwing on. If a sippy cup is capable of leaking, my son will most definitely figure it out. So far he hasn’t been able to get these to leak!

The Explora Line features tops that screw on (thankfully!).  The sippy cups were designed by a physicist, and utilize an advance-flo valve, which requires little effort to drink from.  The cups are designed in stages.  Each is designed with a specific grip to fit little tots’ fingers and unique spouts specific to their age (from soft touch to dura spouts).  I find the cups to be a bit, wide but my son didn’t have any difficulty grasping them.  I like the fact that the spouts start off soft, but become increasingly more durable because I’ve experienced the “chewing” of sippy cups, especially when he teethes.  Each spout was designed to support a child’s natural oral development at each age/stage. I only wish the sippy cups and bottles were interchangeable.  The sippy cups are available in boy and girl colors/designs and a two-pack retails for $7.99 (so affordable!).

Tommee Tippee offers an entire line of feeding products, designed for every stage of your child’s development and available at Babies R Us.

I did not receive compensation for this post.  Product samples were received to facilitate this review.

All About Baby: Evenflo

I’m busily getting ready for our little girl, due to arrive very soon.  I’m going through bins of clothes to see what we can salvage from our son’s newborn days.  I’m going through baby gear and dusting it off for her arrival.  And I’m doing a lot of research for the few things we still need that I couldn’t reuse from our little boy.

It seems like so far away, yet by six months, our little girl will be ready to start using a sippy cup…she’ll be staring solid foods.  It will happen before we’ve had a chance to even think about catching up on sleep.  On my quest for feeding products, safety is my number one concern.  Since MOST feeding products are derived from plastic, it’s important that anything that goes in my childrens’ mouth is free from BPA.  A couple of years ago, I can’t tell you that well-known baby companies even thought about BPA as an issue.  These days, it would be a little more difficult to find a company still using BPA in baby products.

Evenflo is one such company who has worked to ensure that their products are BPA-free.  The company has just launched a new toddler line called Smart Steps.  The launch of the line is an effort by Evenflo to address childhood obesity and eating disorders (a product concept I find very interesting).  Here is a little more info from the site:

Smart Steps was developed in collaboration with top nutrition experts from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, to offer parents a simple solution to fostering lifelong healthy eating habits by providing products for each age and stage of a child’s eating development. The products can help toddlers recognize proper portion sizes, explore new and different foods, and learn to self-regulate meals by listening to their bodies to identify when they feel full.

Smart Steps offers products in 3 different lines:  Knowing Portions, Exploring Food, and Serving Myself.  Each category offers products which correlate with varying developmental stages.  Insulated Cups which keep liquids cool, Portion Plates that teach toddlers about appropriate portion sizes, and Snack Stackers which promote toddler self-feeding are just a few of the products offered in this new line.  I really like the incorporation of a child’s development with education about nutrition and eating.  They’ve also aligned their products to correlate with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines for toddler feeding.

Overall, I think this the line is healthy, user-friendly, and a great starting point for teaching toddlers.  You can find Smart Steps at Babies R Us and select retailers nationwide.  You can  download a coupon here.

Do you have a picky eater?  I know I do!  Here are some tips, courtesy of the site:

• Let your kids be “produce pickers” at the store.  If they can pick out their own fruits and veggies – they’ll be more inclined to eat them
• Invite your kids to prepare meals with you.  All of that mixing, mashing and measuring will make them want to taste what they are prepping.
• Try to make meals a stress-free time. Talk about fun and happy things.
• Offer choices. Rather than ask “Do you want broccoli for dinner?” ask “Which would you like for dinner: broccoli or cauliflower?”

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Evenflo and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Healthy Lunchbox Ideas With Ziploc *Giveaway*

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is kimbly.  Congrats!

By now it’s been at least a month since the school year started.  Fortunately, I don’t have to pack a lunch for my son (yet).  The time will surely come quickly but for now, I’m enjoying the teeny break I get twice a week.  If you do have to pack a lunch for your school-age child, you likely struggle with packing nutritious meals your child will actually eat.

Ziploc and Taste of Home have teamed up to develop an online healthy lunch box recipe guide called Healthy Lunchboxes.  The downloadable guide is free when you input 2 Ziploc UPC codes and features over 30 creative ideas to inspire your child to eat a wholesome meal. Here is one of my favorite recipes from the book:

Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 6 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing spread
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 dinner rolls
• 8 lettuce leaves

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the chicken, salad dressing, cranberries, onion, celery, salt and pepper. Cut tops off rolls; hollow out each roll, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Line each with a lettuce leaf; fill with chicken salad. Replace tops. Yield: 4 servings.

I grew up in a home where Ziploc freezer bags, sandwich bags, and containers were all we used.  To this day we still buy in bulk at Costco.  New to Ziploc is the fact that their products are BPA-free.  We received a box of sandwich bags (which I’ve used and purchased numerous times over my lifetime) and a set of Twist ‘n Loc containers (which I’d never tried before).  I actually prefer these over the containers that have a snap on lid (since I’m a little clumsy).  I also like them because they’re reusable and can be placed in the fridge, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher. I recently found out that they have an eco-friendly called Ziploc Evolve.  I haven’t tried them out yet, but I like the fact that 25% less plastic is used, they’re manufactured with less energy, and packaged with 100% recycled paperboard carton.

Ziploc products are sold at dozens of retailers nationwide (Walmart, Target, Costco, etc.)

Win It! One of you will win a box of Ziploc sandwich bags and a package of Ziploc Twist ‘n Loc containers.  Simply leave me a comment with another product you like on the site.  Comments will close on October 18, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

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“This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and SC Johnson, who provided the item for review.”

What’s Your Phase of Motherhood? *Giveaway*

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Laura.  Congrats!

I can answer that question easily.  I’m in two phases right now. I’m a mom to an adorably inquisitive two year old boy and almost 6 months pregnant with a baby girl. Both have their joys and challenges.

Thermos, the makers of products designed to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot, are launching their new line of infant products called Foogo Phases drinkware.  Here is a little more information from the site:

To make life easier for moms in all phases of motherhood, Thermos has created Foogo Phases, building on the success of the popular Foogo by Thermos line.  Designed to help moms easily adapt to their children’s changing needs, the products feature interchangeable lid and body systems for parents to easily customize drink cups. You can swap out the sippy cup lid with a pop-up straw top.  There are 24 possible combinations  The product is made with safe, BPA-free materials and is available in the stainless steel double wall vacuum-insulated and lightweight Eastman Tritan.

To celebrate the new Thermos Foogo Phases product launch, Thermos is announcing the “Phases of MOTHERHOOD” contest, where one lucky mom can win a luxury getaway to New York City for the premiere of the new Uma Thurman movie “MOTHERHOOD” and $1,000 spending cash for a red carpet makeover. The winner and one guest will have the ultimate Hollywood experience from walking the red carpet, rubbing shoulders with movie stars Uma Thurman and Minnie Driver to attending the exclusive premiere’s after-party. 25 second prizes winners will receive Foogo Phases gift sets valued at $32.

The “MOTHERHOOD”  is centered on the lead character Eliza’s (Uma Thurman) struggle to balance her many roles, or phases, as a mother. To help her get through the hectic days, she relies on products suited for her on-the-go lifestyle. Thermos Foogo insulated stainless steel sippy cups makes a cameo appearance in the film and theatrical trailer.

You can enter the contest via the Thermos Foogo Facebook Fan Page or Thermos Twitter account before Friday, September 18, 2009. For more information on Thermos Foogo Phases drinkware products, as well as the “Phases of MOTHERHOOD” contest please visit www.Facebook.com/ThermosFoogo.

Win It! One of you will win a Foogo Phases set which includes the following:

7 oz Soft sippy with Tritan body
10 oz Hard sippy with Stainless Steel body
11 oz Straw bottle with Tritan body

Simply head on over to the site and take a look around. Come back here and leave me a comment with your favorite Foogo product.  Comments will close on September 29, 2009 at 10 PM PST. One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Enter on their Facebook page.

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Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

Sippy Cups That Don’t Spill?

I spend much of my day cleaning up messes.  It’s my job as a mom and I am definitely not complaining.  After all, my son is still young.  But cleaning floors, couches, clothing, and cars does get tedious after awhile.  So I often find myself thinking about what I can do to avoid a mess.  For example, Target sells these little snack containers that are supposed to keep snacks in and off the floor (or the car), but my son figured out how to pull the cereal (or crackers or whatever) out and then toss them out when he was done with his snack.  So that failed miserably. And then there is the sippy cup.  Now, this little invention has definitely made drinking less messy.  But…MOST of them leak.  My son’s favorite trick is to turn his sippy cup upside down and pour it onto his pants when he is done (cute huh?).  So am I left to be content with sippy cups that just leak?

Thanks to Contigo, we received an Autoseal Kids Mug to review.  The cup is actually designed for children who have outgrown their sippy cups, but still can’t drink from a regular cup without spilling.  There are so many aspects of this mug that are excellent.  First of all, it’s safe.  It’s BPA, Phthalate, and PVC-free.  The company claims the cup is “100% leak-proof and 100% spill-proof.”  I tried.  My husband tried.  My son tried.  We couldn’t get it to leak or spill a drop.  In fact, my son is a little too young for it because he hasn’t quite mastered the art of pressing the button to sip (he tries and understands the concept, but the dexterity is not quite there).

I also like the shape and design of the cup (and they come in cute, kid-friendly colors too).  It’s tapered in the middle to make it easier for children’s hands to grasp while drinking.  I think the most interesting characteristic of the mug is how it actually works.  “AUTOSEAL automatically seals between sips to ensure no spills.”

We’ve already started using this with my son.  I know it’s a bit early, but honestly, if he could learn to use this, I’d do away with sippy cups completely.  And then maybe the upholstery and carpet in our car wouldn’t have milk and juice stains.

A set of two Contigo AUTOSEAL Kid’s Mugs retails for $15.99 and they can be purchased directly from the site.  I think they’re perfect for heading back to school…just be sure to label them so they come back!

For more fabulous Back to School Ideas, visit Mommy Mandy & Mommy Goggles!

Clear2Go

I recently read an article from the National Resources Defense Council, stating that bottled water is “not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water.”  Honestly, this was difficult to read.  I used to be a huge consumer of bottled water. I would NEVER drink tap water unless I was stuck somewhere, thirsty.  The reality is that bottled water is costly, both to the environment and our pocketbook.  I am trying to do my part to preserve the environment and ditching bottled water is just one of my small efforts.  The problem I have is that tap water just doesn’t taste the same.  It could be “all in my head” or the fact that tap water has a lot of added things like chlorine to ensure it’s free from toxins and safe to drink.

A few months ago, we reviewed the Pur Water Pitcher and I love it.  It’s what we use every day.  However, when we’re out, we have to plan a little in order to avoid buying bottled water.  Reusable water bottles are becoming very popular, with the growing concern over the environment.  I recently received a Clear2Go bottle to review.  This 24 ounce squeezable plastic bottle contains a filter capable of removing 99.9% of microbial cysts (ew!) and reduces the taste and odor of chlorine.  The plastic is BPA-free and the filter is capable of filtering up to 100 gallons of water.  I love the convenience of being able to fill up anywhere without worrying about the taste or chemicals present in the water.

So, the question is…how does the water taste?  Obviously I am not about to test the water to ensure it’s clean and free from toxins.  I trust that this is the case.  My primary concner was how the water was going to taste, coming straight from the tap.  It actually tastes good.  I don’t taste any chemicals or metals and there is no odor to the water.  It’s been so hot I’ve been adding ice to the water and it’s nice that everything gets filtered.  One thing I’d love to see is some sort of indicator, letting me know when it’s time to change the filter.  I’ve yet to see this in any reusable bottle with a filter.

The Clear2Go bottle retails for $16.99 and is available for purchase on the site.  A two-pack of replaceable filters can be purchased for approximately $10 (they should be changed every 2 to 3 months)  The cost is actually very reasonable, considering the bottle’s abilty to be reused

Do Something Green: Go BPA-Free!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Ecky.  Congrats!

I was fortunate to have read an article about BPA on Zrecs when I was pregnant with my son.  At that time, the only manufacturers who sold BPA-free bottles were Medela and Born Free.  If you’re still confused as to what BPA is or why it’s harmful, I encourage you to check out the well-researched articles on Zrecs.    Today, if you were to type in “BPA-free bottles” on Google, 854,000 results would be returned.  I almost wish it was as simple as 2 choices.  But companies listened (thankfully) to the consumer’s demand for safe feeding alternatives and now it’s simply a matter of which bottle to choose.  There are two excellent resources (who just happen to be fabulous bloggers too) that may help guide your decision-making:  The Soft Landing and SafeMama.

I recently had an opportunity to try the new sippy cups by TILTY.  Here is a little more information from the site:

Designed by parents, recommended by pediatricians, moms, dads, and grandparents, TILTY is truly – a better sippy cup.  Our patent-pending ergonomic design makes TILTY the easiest sippy cup to use.  The snap on lid keeps messes to a minimum, and we didn’t include a valve, just like the ADA recommends.

One of the first things I look for in a sippy cup is whether or not it’s BPA-free.  Not only is TILTY BPA-free, it’s Phthalate, PVC, and Dye free.  The cups are made of polypropylene which is a  durable, recyclable material.  It’s very light (compared with many sippy cups on the market) and clear, which it makes it nice to see how much liquid is left in the cup. When you look at the cup, the first thing you notice is the slant in the middle of the cup.  This is to help children drink and learn how to use a cup easier.  My son is almost two and eventually we’d like to transition him to a cup.  I think that the TILTY is a wonderful transition sippy for him.  I like the fact that it doesn’t have a valve (which apparently isn’t recommended by the American Dental Association because of it’s interference with dental development) although this means that when my son tips it over (and he will) it will drip.  If you haven’t read the article from the ADA, I highly recommend it because it talks about how to choose the right sippy cup.  I didn’t know that sippy cups with spouts are just bottles in disguise, which means they require sucking as opposed to sipping (which is the purpose of a sippy cup, right?).  The other thing about valves is that they’re incredibly difficult to clean.  Just the other day I opened up one of my son’s stainless steel sippy cups (that uses a spout) and found dried, curdled milk underneath (yuk!).  This was AFTER taking it out of the dishwasher.  You can wash TILTY sippy cups in the dishwasher (top rack only).  Each cup holds seven ounces and children as young as 9 months old can use them.

Needless to say, I learned a lot about sippy cups as a result of this review.  And I learned that no two sippy cups are alike!  Do you know what the best part about the TILTY is?  The price!  A pack of two retails for $6.00 (as opposed to another company’s which retail for $21.00).

Win It! One of you will win a pack of two TILTY sippy cups.  Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with an interesting fact you learned that wasn’t in my review.  Comments will close on May 7, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

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