Ergo Baby Carrier *Review*

Ergo baby was kind enough to have me review their baby carrier! I can't tell you how excited I was to receive this package in the mail. I had been day dreaming about trying one of these for quite some time. I already have a hot-sling type carrier and a Moby Wrap. I liked them both, the Moby more than the sling. But, I was looking for something that went on even faster and was less likely to get dirty when taking on and off. We go camping A LOT and because of how the Moby kind of drapes on the ground a bit while you are tying it up, it is always filthy about 15 minutes after arrival. Not a huge deal, but not much fun either.

Ergo is based in Hawaii, and they sent me a really nice organic carrier to review. If you have ever been to Hawaii, you'll know it's an amazing place. If you haven't, let me tell you, it's like paradise. When I got my package from Ergo, I felt like I got a little piece of paradise sent to me! They follow through with Hawaii's sense of Aloha in their customer service, and the obvious care in which their product is made. I think that's one of the reasons I was so drawn to this carrier over other similar carriers in the first place. The sense of care and concern Ergo projects to it's audience. And I love that they spend a lot of time talking about safe babywearing on their website. Really good info for folks who are new to the idea, or new parents in general.

OK, back to the carrier. I got a black one with embroidered flowery detail on it, and like I mentioned it's organic. LOVE that aspect! The shoulder straps are very padded to provide maximum comfort. So is the waist strap. It has elastic bands that will catch the clips in case they break so the baby doesn't fall......but it looks like it would take A LOT to break those suckers! Not worried about it at all.

It's probably obvious that this is a carrier that holds the baby facing you and in the front. But you may not notice right away how versatile this carrier actually is. Besides being a front carrier, it can also be a hip carrier. AND it can also be a back carrier! That's three safe positions in one convenient package. The first two positions were quick and easy for me to learn. I used them right away when heading out for an evening walk with the little one. I have yet to master the back carry.......I am just too afraid I am going to drop the little one :( The good news is, there's a TON of videos on youtube that demonstrate how to use the Ergo in various ways. It appears it just takes practice.

The Ergo also has an optional infant insert, but because my little one is passed the age of needing that I can't attest for that piece.

One of the other advantages of this carrier is that it is designed to offer the best and most natural support for both the parent and the baby. This makes it more comfortable for longer periods of time. I have yet to experience neck and shoulder pain, or any real back and foot pain after our evening walks. I haven't worn it for hours on end yet, but I can't forsee it being uncomfortable. And I can tell my little one is comfortable because she settles right into it. She LOVES to be in it!! A carrier isn't any good if baby hates it and it never gets used! Little miss generally falls asleep in it before long, so I know it's nice a comfy and comforting.

The best thing about the Ergo, which probably goes without saying is how quickly it goes on so I can be hands free in under a minute, with no fussing with tying straps or goofing with comfy positioning. Once it;s on, it's on. It doesn't get loose after wearing it for a bit, it's secure and safe, comfy. Perfect. The hip carry is awesome for when the little one gets bigger and it's harder to maneuver around them when they are on the front of you. Like, say doing dishes for example. It's hard to get to the sink and do a proper cleaning job when your 8 month old is right in front of ya! I imagine it must be what being 17 months pregnant would feel like!? YIKES!! So yeah, I usually go with the hip carry for chores. I even had someone help me get her into a back carry so I could cook Thanksgiving dinner for 16 people while wearing her! BEST THING EVER!! To have your baby peacefully playing or napping on your back while you prepare a feast is the best ever. No worrying about what she was getting into or who was watching her!

All in all, this is my favorite carrier. I LOVE it and can't believe I got along without it before! I recommend this to any new mom, or mom interested in trying out baby wearing. It's safe, comfortable, durable, and more affordable than other similar carriers. Worth every penny if you ask me! Get yourself one HERE.

I am adding some pics of the two positions I am good at. These were taken right before our evening walk. I might just keep on adding pictures of how she fits and how we use it as time goes on. It's just such an awesome carrier!

Vital ID from Belly Charms *Review*

As part of child safety awareness week, I wanted to share some products that can help to keep your children safe. The wonderful people at Vital ID by Belly Charms offered me a Vital ID to use and review.

Here is some info from their site:

"Whether you are a lost child at the mall, experiencing a medical emergency, or have been involved in an accident, ensuring you can quickly communicate with those around you is essential! Carrying ID can provide this voice when you are unable to communicate for yourself and ensure help is quickly given by those who have come to your aid.

You Never Know When You'll Need It - Be Prepared... Carry ID!"

I love this wrist ID. It is truly a great idea for when you are out and about with your little ones. You can put your address, contact information and any medical information that may be necessary. It is water proof, and the velcro is not very easy for little one's to take off! Each wrist band comes with two ID tags that fit securely inside in a pocket. This is also good to have on your child if you are attending a large out door event such as a fair or concert where you can loose sight of your child rather quickly. Trust me, my brother and I turned the act of escaping into an art form, it was not because we weren't being watched!





By the way, here's a tip for attending large fairs, festivals and other large outdoor events. Pick a meeting place upon entry. Somewhere easy for little eyes to find. As kids we used to have the meeting place at the first aid/nursing station. Every single fair had one. And we knew all we had to do was tell someone that worked at the fair that we were lost and we needed to meet our parents at the nursing station. Never had to use that, but it's a good idea.

Back to my review. I really do like this wrist band. It is a bit too big for my child still, she is only 7 months, but this will come in handy sooner than we know! This is also a good idea for use at class-mate birthday parties. You can have your phone number all ready and easy to access for the host of the party, in case you chose not to stay with your child. Vital ID also makes a medical ID that would be great for use on a child in school. This way teachers can look and see any medical needs or allergies quickly and easily and not have to rely on the child to relay important information.





$11.99 is a small price to pay for peace of mind when it comes to our children! I encourage you to get one of these. They come in a multitude of colors and even camo!

To Purchase a Vital ID by Belly Charms go here.
For more products and info from Belly Charms, go here.
Like Belly Charms on Facebook here.
And Follow them on Twitter here.

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Want to win one? You can:
Mandatory Entry (all in one comment):

1.) Visit Belly charms on face book (link above), like them, and thank them for the giveaway.
2.) Visit the Vital ID's By Belly Charms link (above) and tell me what color/style of ID you would like.

Comment back here with your answer, and let me know you liked our sponsor. Leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!

Extra Entries:
1.) Follow Belly Charms on Twitter (one extra entry)
2.) Follow Me on Twitter @tideebums (one extra entry)
3.) Follow me on GFC (one extra entry)
4.) Like me on Facebook

Super Entry:
Tweat about this giveaway using @belly charms and @tideebums in the tweet with a link to the blog. For example:

"@tideebums is having a Vital ID by @BellyCharms #giveaway on her blog! http://tideebums.blogspot.com/" OR use the "tweet this" button bellow!

This can be done twice per day (more than 3 hours apart) for one entry each time during the entire giveaway.

Giveaway starts today 11/22 and will end on Monday 11/29 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Random.org will chose the winner.


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Child Safety Awareness Week 11/15-11/22

Because of the nature of this blog, my readers are all parents. This is why I wanted to have a special event dedicated to bringing awareness to keeping our children safe when they begin to travel further and further out of arms reach. I am dedicating this week to a classmate and friend who got kidnapped, and has never been found. Some of you may, or may not have heard about this case, depending on where you live. Here's some info from the FBI's website:




"Michaela Joy Garecht was nine-years-old when she was abducted by an unknown male assailant in the parking lot of the Rainbow Market in Hayward, California, on the morning of November 19, 1988. She was attempting to retrieve her friend's scooter that the abductor had moved closer to his vehicle while the girls were inside the market when she was grabbed by the assailant and pulled into a car. Garecht has not been seen or heard from since this date."

Please also see the Charley Project's website for even more info.

There is also a Facebook page set up by Michaela's mother, and you can feel free to :like" it if you want to stay on top of any and all information that comes in. As Sharon mentions, this case is not cold, and they do investigate any and all tips that come in.

Her mother has set up a website, which you can find here. Here is an excerpt from the home page written by her mother Sharon:

"I am filled with a desire not only to continue the search for Michaela, but to keep her alive by keeping her memory alive. Michaela was a bright and shining light in the world, and I am determined that her light will never go out. In her honor, I offer you this website. I seek information about her kidnapping. I offer a book I have written on child safety, and what an honor to my daughter it would be if that book should ever result in keeping even one child from having to endure the horror she did. "

The website created by her mother has several links and lots of information about the case, and I urge you to take a look at it. It is painful to think about something like this happening to our own. I feel it is important to think about though, so we can try to prevent it. There will come a time when our children will be out of our eyesight at some point. Weather it be walking to or from school, waiting for the school bus, in a store where you have averted your eyes for only a second, a crowded area where your hand accidentally slips from your child's without meaning to, or sometimes even in your own home while you are asleep at night. Or when our little ones, unaware of the dangers of the outside world, get curious and sneak away from us.

In honor of Michaela, I will be giving away one copy of the book that Sharon wrote "Listen To Your Smart Voice: And Stay Safe!"

This is the best way that I can think of to honor Michaela. To try and help make sure this doesn't happen to any of you. All week I will be posting other cases and products that can help protect your children and keep them safe.


To win the book, there is only one way to enter.

Please comment your thoughts below, leaving your email so I can contact you if you have won.

This will be open from today 11/15 until 11/22 at 12:59 pm PST

If you decide to like Michaela's facebook page, please don't post our usual "tidee bums sent me!" type of comments. Obviously, this isn't that sort of page. Supportive comments are always welcome to Sharon though. Thanks for understanding!

Tommee Tippee Explora Food Pots Giveaway

Now that you have read the review, here's how you can win a set for yourself!



This contest is open from today 11/05/10 until 11/12/10 at 11:59 p.m. PST. I will draw a winner and notify them via email. You will have 48 hours to claim your prize, or else a new winner will be drawn.

The Prize:
One 4 Pack of Tommee Tippee Explora Food Pots

Rules:
This contest is open to anyone.

Mandatory entry:
1.) Visit Tommee Tippee's website and comment here telling me which product of theirs you would most like to have.
2.) Like Tommee Tippee on facebook, and tell them "thanks for the giveaway from Tidee Bums!!" and then comment here so I know you did.


Extra Entry:
1.) Follow me publicly on google friend connect, comment here so I know you did.
2.) "Like" me on facebook, and comment back here to tell me that you did.
3.) Tweet about this give away using this in the tweet "@tideebums is having a tommee tippee #giveaway on her blog! tideebums.blogspot.com" or by using the tweet this button below. (you can do this once per day for the duration of the giveaway. copy and past your tweet in the comments)
4.) Comment on ONE of my other blog posts, and come back here and comment so I know you did. (you can only do this once during the giveaway)



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Tommee Tippee Explora Food Pots Review

I'm always on the look out for little products and gadgets that can make getting out and about with my little one easier. When I first started getting out of the house with a new baby in tow, I totally over prepared :) I would lug around this giant diaper bag overstuffed with extra bottles, cans of formula *just in case*, slings galore, 10 extra diapers, extra clothes, you name it. It was in the diaper bag. And that was just fora run to the grocery store! Needless to say, that got to be cumbersome and I needed to find better ways to do things. Not only did I cut back on the sheer amount of needless items I put in the bag, I started to keep my eyes open for little compartment style containers and things that I could put portions of food into. I also wanted to make things easier for when my husband is gone and I need to take the little one over to her grandpa's house to be cared for during the day.

That's when I came across Tommee Tippee products. I so wish I had found them sooner!! They make virtually everything you can think of! Bottles, plates, spoons, pacifiers, and even offer support for breast feedings moms and the dads who love them. How awesome is that! Tommee Tippee is obviously committed to a high standard of quality and to supporting and building relationships with their consumers. Needless to say, I was pleased as punch when they allowed me to review one of their products, the Explora Food Pots.


On top of being concerned about saving space (and pay load) in the diaper bag, I am more concerned about safety and health issues. Tommee Tippee proucts are ALWAYS BPA free! Thats' one of my favorite parts about this company. They know what's important to us moms.

Here's what I received in the mail from Tommee Tippee:


Upon first impression, I was really please with their packaging. And the fact that there's not a lot of it to throw away! As a person who works in product packaging, those first impressions are important. But what's better is, you'll notice how all four pots and the list stack neatly together so they won't take up much space in your cupboards. Thank goodness for that because I am already overrun with too much Tupperware!

After washing these up, I was ready to put them to use the next morning. I grabbed a frozen cube of home made baby food, and tossed it in the pot and then straight into the diaper bag, hoping for the best! I was worried that the lid would leak as the food started to thaw out. But, nope! I had no reports of leaks! What's better is that, because these are microwave safe and dishwasher safe AND freezer safe, I don't have to worry about how these pots will get used when I drop my little one off during the day at my dad's. Meaning, if he decides to microwave her food, no worries! Wash them in the dishwasher? No problem. Much easier than using hundreds of little plastic baggies that just need to get thrown out.



They made a trip out to dinner much easier too. We could take her frozen food with us without worrying about leaks, and some rice cereal on another pot to just mix up at the table of the restaurant we went to. And it didn't take a toll on the valuable diaper bag real estate. I also find that bringing along empty pots are good for storing things, like binkies, that you may not want just floating around in the diaper bag. We have also even let little miss put the bink in the pot, sealed the lid and then let her shake away as a makeshift toy to keep her distracted while running errands.

Overall I love these little food pots and Tommee Tippee for making them. You can bet I'll be buying more of their products in the very near future! Tommee Tippee products are reasonably priced and are sold at Babies R Us and Toys R Us. I'm also giving away a set of Explora Food Pots here!

Quick tutorial for Giveaway fanatics.....

Have you entered so many blog giveaways that you can't remember which one's you have already entered!? I have. Lots of times! I return to the giveaway to find that there's hundreds upon hundreds of entries, and I can't be bothered to look through pages and pages of comments to see of I actually commented or not! Don't worry, you don't have to do that anymore.

Here's how to search a page to see if you have commented.

Go to the blog's giveaway page. Once you are there, hit CTRL+F or COMMAND+F if you're on a mac like me. This should pop up a find field somewhere in your browser. For me, it's the top right. I use Safari. It could be different for every browser, but it will be there somewhere!

Now type in the name that you use to enter giveaways, probably your google friend connect user name. If you were say "crazygiveawayfan1", then that's what you would type in the find field.

What you searched for will be highlighted on the page if it's there. If not, then you haven't entered yet!

If a persons blog is set up to have paginated comments, then you would have to repeat this action for every page of comments. But in my opinion, it's better than reading through it all!

Obviously this works for anything you might want to find on a page. Hope someone finds this useful! Good luck all my giveaway entering fanatics.....

Laundry Sampler Kit Giveaway *Closed*

If you haven't settled on a detergent yet, or are curious about trying one of these "made for cloth diapers" detergents, OR battle stinkies from time to time, this giveaway is for you! And here's little story about what happens when you don't wash your diaper laundry, a personal experience :)

This contest is open from today 10/27/10 until 11/10/10 at 11:59 p.m. PST. I will draw a winner and notify them via email by friday 11/12/10. You will have 48 hours to claim your prize, or else a new winner will be drawn.

The Prize:
2 packets of RLR laundry Treatment (this helps with stinkies and so much more)
5 packets of Country Save Detergent
5 Packets of Rockin Green Detergent in your choice of available formulas and scents.
1 package of Bummis Biosoft Flushable Liners in size small

Overall value is $20.71!

This is enough to "strip" your diapers at least twice, and wash at least 10 loads of laundry! More if you have and HE machine. And I threw in the flushable liners to help you get the poop off before throwing in the diaper pail!

Rules:
This contest is open to anyone in the U.S. and Canada. You MUST be a follower of this blog to enter, or else your entries won't count!!

Mandatory entry:
1.) Comment below and tell me if you have used any of these brands before. If not, that's ok, just say so :) BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL OR SELSE I WON'T BE ABLE TO CONTACT YOU AND TELL YOU IF YOU'VE WON! And then I'll have to pick a new winner.

Extra Entry:
1.) "Like" me on facebook, and comment back here to tell me that you did.
2.) Tweet about this give away using this in the tweet "@tideebums is having a laundry kit #giveaway for #clothdiaper users on her blog! tideebums.blogspot.com" or by using the tweet this button below. (you can do this once per day for the duration of the giveaway. copy and past your tweet in the comments)
3.) Comment on ONE of my other blog posts, and come back here and comment so I know you did. (you can only do this once during the giveaway)
4.) "Like Rockin' Green Soap on facebook, and tell them Tidee Bums sent you!

Super Entries:
1.) Become a member of my blogfrog community, and comment here to let me know you did. This is worth 10 extra entries! (comment back here, blogfrog 1,2,3....etc.)
2.) Start a discussion, or join an existing discussion in the community for 10 extra entries.
3.) Earn 10 entries for every $25 you spend at Diaper Junction through my affiliate link (link bellow) during this contest. Comment bellow with the dollar amount of your order, and the order number so I can verify.




If any of this was confusing, contact me on facebook and I'll help you out!

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