Baby Bunching

fun new 2010 double strollers

We just ran our massive double stroller series a few weeks ago. This is a short post about a few new models on the market for 2010. Seen them? Tried them? Loved them? Hated them? Let us know what you think. (And if you're from the company, we're happy to do a giveaway here.)

Peg Perego GT3 for Two. Now several of our readers have asked us this new stroller. We have not seen this one yet, but it's an interesting option. The price tag is at about $650. That's $200 more than the Phil and Ted. This new stroller offers some intriguing options: easy fold, large storage space (so they say), car seat adapter and the boot is included. The width is comparable to the other in-line strollers at 24 inches. You're looking at a heavier stroller nearing 36-38 pounds.

UppaBaby Vista with Rumble Seat. I spotted this one at a localstore and had to give it a try. It has the Bugaboo look to it so if you're looking for a swankier "buggy y" this is it. UppaBaby has come up with a solution to the strollers flipping when toddler gets in and out. They have designed the Rumble seat to keep from flipping the stroller over. Another bonus is the amount of storage space. I was surprised how much you could throw into the stroller. There are several configurations to the stroller so it gives mom, baby and toddler a chance to rearrange if needed. Beware as the Rumble seat only fits kids up to 35 pounds. But in our experience by that time, kids don't want to be in the stroller very much anyway.  

Baby Jogger City Select. This stroller was recently added to our Double Stroller Guide, but first caught sight of it over at Stroller Traffic. I love the idea that it has 16 different configurations, which includes carrycot and car seats. The stroller with both seats on is 36 pounds, but the flexibility, depending on your situation, may be worth it. The price tag is $500, but to be able to mix and match so many ways...single to double and then back to single is not a bad price to pay. Bonus is the nice storage space underneath.

iCandy Pear. First spotted on Cool Mom Picks, this is the luxury double stroller model that just arrived in the U.S. from Britain. Again, it has multiple configurations that allow you to customize for your needs. Are you noticing a trend here? We Baby Bunchers need options! The biggest complaint by most moms seems to be the seat/canopy height. The stroller is a bit on the heavy side, nearly 40 pounds, and the price tag is hefty: $900. It looks like a fun stroller to drive.

For more of our double stroller favs, check out the Double Stroller Guide.

product highlight: tag*a*long your bunch

Stroller configurations (single + sling, tandem, twin, single + boogie board, sit and stand, single + roaming child) can be tricky as your Bunch grows. We have often said there is not one perfect double stroller out there...yet. If your Bunch is still little, you may think you have found the perfect one, but as they grow you realize the weight of the older one will make a twin hard to push, the attitude of one will make a tandem hard to negotiate and without fail someone will decide the stroller just isn't for them anymore!

As your kids grow bigger, the options for containment grow smaller. This is why I squealed with delight when I saw Rookie Mom's review about this new stroller accessory: the tag*a*long.

This is such a simple concept, and we're glad to see someone put this into practice at a low price ($10). The tag*a*long is basically a plastic handle that attaches to the side of your stroller so your child can hang on to the stroller--without actually pushing the stroller into people or getting run over by the wheel. Maybe that wheel thing is my own error.

This handy gadget was developed by Naptime Industries, a mom and dad design team from Philadelphia with their own young kids. Here are a few tag*a*long bits:

• It provides an option for older siblings or those kids who can walk and do not want to sit in the stroller.
• The attachment requires no tools and will fit on most strollers. It's quick loop-through design makes it quick and easy to get on and off.
• It's made in the USA and is lead and BPA free. Bonus in case your baby wants to suck on it, too.  

Even better, this seems like a great product for those with three children who are maneuvering a double and still need some assistance reigning in the oldest. I love that this gives kids a designated spot to return to and sets the expectations and directs boundaries. It doesn't guarantee your oldest from wandering off but the tag*a*long will provide him a place to hold while moving about and a place to come back to when the fun is done.

As you know with all things Baby Bunching, we only review what we feel is appropriate for those with closely spaced siblings. (We did not receive a sample nor were we paid by the company for this review. Although, they did graciously offer us a few to sample.)

Let us know if you've tried this out yet!

product review: Thermos Intak water bottle (with bonus water recipe)

I recently stumbled upon a product I love so much that I just had to share it with you girls.  I am a huge water drinker, and I try to go the reusable bottle route if at all possible to avoid generating waste associated with plastic bottles.  Back in August I had surgery, and Linda was so sweet to send me a care package with goodies such as comfy jammies, trashy celebrity magazines, and this awesome water bottle. 

Seriously, I must have 10 different kinds of water bottles in my cupboard - all of which I used on a rotational basis, including the huge insulated thermos mugs with straws that I got from the hospital when I delivered each of my babies.  In fact, when I had my surgery, I was thrilled to come out of anesthesia to discover that you don't have to be in the maternity ward to get one of these babies - I was able to round out my hospital mug collection without even reproducing again! 

But little did I know that my new Thermos Intak from Lindy would be my new go-to water bottle.  What I love about it is that it has a screw top lid, but a sturdy little plastic straw the pops up so you can sip instead of gulp. Somewhere along the line when I was sick, a doctor recommended to me that I sip water through a straw instead of drinking it out of a glass, claiming that people tend to ingest more water this way (and I have found it to be true for me personally). The bottle comes in 16 and 24 ounce sizes, is dishwasher safe and BPA-free, and I have yet to have a leaking problem with it.  This is a great little bottle for Baby Bunchers because we all know how important adequate water intake is for nursing and staying healthy!

As a bonus, I wanted to share with you my new favorite water recipe. Yes, you read that right - water recipe. Cut up a few orange and lemon slices and toss them in a pitcher of water with some sprigs of mint and a few cranberries. I discovered this when I went to Blogalicious a few weeks ago and I have become addicted. This refreshing combination perks up regular old water and looks festive for entertaining, but is easy enough to make to spice up water drinking on a daily basis.  Cheers!

In light of the upcoming flu season, water intake is more important than ever, and this was one of my biggest challenges as a Baby Buncher (no time to eat, no time to drink, no time to pee, etc.). If you've got any time-tested secrets for making sure you get enough water, do share!

product review: tide stain release

Let me preface this post by saying that we at Baby Bunching were not compensated by Proctor & Gamble to review this product, although it would've been kind of cool if we had been. But not really.  I reviewed a product that someone gave me once and it totally sucked, but since they were kind enough to give it to me, I felt compelled to say nice things about it. 

After that, I swore I would never review free stuff (or get paid to review) again.  Baby Bunchers have enough on their hands - I don't want to be the one to lead you astray by directing you towards a crappy product because of my guilt complex.

And I have to say, given the recently released FTC regulations re: disclosure of endorsements, I am even happier that I don't mess with product reviews (although I do think the regulations are total bull*%^t because print media isn't exactly held to the same standards).

All that aside, every once in awhile I come across a product that is so awesome that I feel compelled to share it with you.  New Tide Stain Release is such a product.  I don't know about you, but EVERY SINGLE DAY some member of my Bunch craps up their clothing with either food, dirt, poop, or art supplies.  I do at least one load of laundry a day because there is a running pile of stuff on top of my washer that has to be washed TODAY, lest the stain set in (even over SprayNWash) in the hamper before I get around to washing it.

I've never been one to put much stock in brand loyalty when it comes to laundry detergent or stain removers.  I buy whatever is on sale or I have a coupon for, and have never really noticed a difference between one product over another, save for the fact that I do have my preferred scents.  A few weeks ago I received a free sample of Tide Stain Release with a Gymboree purchase.  I had zero expectations for it, but tossed it in the washer with a load of stained baby clothes and dingy socks one day, mainly because I was de-cluttering the laundry room and wanted it out of my house and felt bad just throwing it away.  Damned if those clothes didn't come out stain-free and the socks whiter than white!  It worked so awesomely that I rushed right out to buy a bag (bonus: they were on sale AND I had a coupon that came with my free sample) and I have been hooked ever since. 

I'm sure my kids will find a way to thwart the Stain Release eventually, but so far, I have not done one single load that hasn't come out with the stains removed.  Yay for Tide! 

scout: the perfect pool bag & giveaway

Summer arrives and I suddenly become the pool sherpa. I have to able to pick the perfect pool for right time of day and bring along all the appropriate gear/toys and food. My first two summers to the pool I literally looked like a lost bag lady. I came in carrying at least three bags full of toys, diapers, swim diapers, clothes, snacks, water bottles, baby bottles, towels and anything else that may be considered essential to water play....even if only for 10 minutes.

Last summer, I walked past the most awesome bag at a local festival and finally decided it was time for a decent pool bag to tote all the junk to the pool. The bag was worth every cent and should be required gear for any Baby Bunching mom who is at the pool regularly.

The bag is called a Scout bag and Pine & Ivy (who I bought three of these bags from) is donating one for our giveaway. I love this bag because it's huge (19 x 10 x 15 inches), waterproof, stain poof and fun to carry. It's made out of poly-woven tarp material and has reinforced handles so I can get literally EVERYTHING for the pool into one bag.

To enter the giveaway, tell me why you need this bag and give us your best Baby Bunching pool story. We'll randomly select a winner on June 25.

Congrats to our winner Ariel. She was selected by Random.org.

product review: Danonino

Summary:  This product is disgusting.  Skip it.

As a grandmother, my mom is a children's food marketer's dream.  No individually packaged, miniaturized serving size product with dancing cartoon animals on the front is too overpriced for her.  She has come home with some stuff that, while admittedly "fun", borders on the ridiculous.  Like Oscar Meyer Fast Franks, for people who are truly so lazy fun they can't be bothered to heat a hot dog in the microwave for 35 seconds and then reach into a separate bag for a bun.  Who buys this crap?  I mean, besides my mom, who stocks up on this and other similarly nutritionally devoid fun products when the grand kids come to visit.

We're visiting Grandma for spring break and she's discovered a new product this time - Danonino.  Packaged deceptively to resemble very small yogurt shots for the tiniest breed of party animals, this product is actually apparently chalk-flavored pudding of some sort.   I guess the first clue that it is disgusting should've been that it is labeled "dairy snack" and not "yogurt".  What the hell is a dairy snack and why would you want one when you can consume ACTUAL dairy products (like yogurt?).  I guess it just goes to show that dancing cartoon animals can convince rational people to do a lot of things they wouldn't otherwise do (like let their kids eat chalk in gel form).

Anyway, rarely is a product so disgusting or useless that I am moved to write about it, but I didn't get this one.  My Bunch refused to eat it and when I tried it, I understood why.

Linda almost put the kibosh on this post by noting that some of her buddies living in Europe swear by this product and then it has fortifying qualities that actually make it better than regular yogurt.  If so, feel free to chime in and defend it - I'm just a redneck who lives in Georgia and grew up in Texas, so could be I'm missing the point.  We're taking our chances on regular old "unfortified" yogurt in this family.

product review: munchkin food grinder

Even as a third time mom, I am still occasionally discovering products that make me wonder where in the hell they have been my entire parenting life.  Sometimes it turns out they have been right in my own closet.

Take the baby food grinder, for example.  Someone gave me this nifty grinder sometime in between my first and second babies, I think. To say that I am not the most mechanically inclined person would be a gross understatement, and anything with more than one moving part scares me.  In addition to that, I was in a Baby Bunching haze without a spare moment to pee, more less read instructions on a grinder, so it went straight to the top shelf of the nursery closet unopened. 

When I packed away the nursery stuff, it was almost scooped up by my very mechanically inclined (courtesy of his father) eldest son, who is fascinated with gadgets of all sorts.  But since it was still unopened, I threw it in a box thinking maybe I would unload it at the preschool's consignment sale in the fall.

When Baby #3 arrived, it bounced from the storage box to to a box of toys to a box on the changing table and finally actually ended up in a kitchen cabinet somehow.  One day recently, I found myself with a baby who was pretty close to being ready for table food, the grinder, and 5 free minutes to peruse the directions.   It turns out it was a cinch to "assemble", did not require batteries, and was dishwasher safe!  Aside from not being mechanically inclined, I have an aversion to changing batteries and hand washing dishes, so score 10 points for the food grinder.  Another 5 points for the fact that I saw one at Target later that same week and it was only $7!

It was super easy to use and I was able to quickly make a variety of foods suitable for baby, from peas, corn and carrots to a little homemade chicken noodle soup.  The food grinder does not like pineapple, but it did siphon off the juice nicely for baby to enjoy a few spoonfuls.  It was so easy to use that I wondered why it was again that I busted out the Cuisinart mini-processor to make homemade baby food for my first two?  Talk about complicated and moving parts...ugh.

Unfortunately, the food grinder met a cruel fate in the form of my garbage disposal.  Bent beyond repair, it has ceased to grind.  This happened just 72 hours ago and I am missing my new best friend the grinder like I lost my right arm or something.  Literally the ONLY reason I haven't dashed to Target to replace it is because of my tendency to turn a $7 errand at Target into a $90 one, so I have to pace myself on my Target trips.

I have a few products that I love to give new moms and the Munchkin baby food grinder has just made the list.  Cheap, effective, and so easy to use even a sleep-addled Baby Buncher can figure it out - a winner in my book!

review + giveaway: clip n' feed nursing cover

Those who know me, know I really struggled with breastfeeding my first child. When my second came around, I was determined to make it work. And we did--for five months. Until breastfeeding in quiet and total darkness got to be too difficult for everyone.

I must admit to never using a nursing cover with either kid. I grabbed the biggest and most breathable blanket to take with me. But I watched a friend using this Clip N' Feed cover a few months ago. It took a very clever mommy to come up with this concept. 

What I like about this cover: It has clips, and ones that can be removed to use in different locations on the cover. I also like that it's big so serves multiple purposes. Not only can it be used to make breastfeeding more discreet and comfortable for mom, but it can clip to the stroller, the car seat or even the cart to keep the sun out of baby's face.  And I love that it also comes in blankety material, which means it can double as an instant floor mat or burp cloth (preferably not at the same time...but you never know.) I also love that these come in a beautiful assortment of colors and they are all made here in the US. Yay!

What I'm still not sold on: Why are these needed? I think blankets do a good job doing the same thing. Babies, generally, are not thrilled with eating under a cloth anyway, but I guess you can't stay home all the time and if this makes you feel better about it, I like this one. I don't know if I would run right out and buy this for myself; however, I would purchase this as a gift for a new mom....especially a new Baby Bunching mom.

I do have two to giveaway--one in the butterfly pattern and one classic blue blanket.

Just leave a comment here by Jan. 26 with your best nursing-in-public story--where you did it, what people said, how you felt, or just how you let it all hang out. Please let us know if you use a cover like this and what you think about them. We'll randomly select two winners.

review: meal assembly kitchen—let's dish

This year for Christmas I gave my mom the gift of food. She’s sick with cancer and many days just can’t bring herself to cook. She needs the nutrients and while my dad does what he can, I figured there were days they would rather just pull out dinner already prepared and just cook it.

I decided to give Let’s Dish a try. If you live in any suburban area, you may be able to find any number of these meal assembly kitchens: Dinner A’Fare, Super Suppers, or Dream Dinners. Although with the weakening economy, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of these places go out business.  That would be sad because this is a great thing for Baby Bunching moms.

If you haven’t tried one of these and you’re about to become a mom of two under two or recently had a new baby, we would suggest you give this system a try.

In about an hour, for $100 or so, you can make four meals that feed six. You can make more if you like. If your dinners usually just feed the grownup members of your family anyway, do the split portions and you’ll be eight dinners ahead.

Turn the cooking session into a Baby Bunching girl’s night out so you’re cooking with friends. But these places are so easy you could even send your husband there to do it—but then you’d be left with both kids alone, so better not. Use it at as a ploy to get a break from your Bunch. I even know one Baby Buncher who said this is what her friends gave her as a baby shower gift...two weeks worth of meals. The shower was actually held at the location.  

These meals are reasonably healthy (healthier than any boxed frozen dinner) and with a few extra meals like this in the freezer, anyone can cook them when you're strapped for time and sanity—dad, visiting grandma or grandpa, doting aunt, good friend.

If you are a novice at this system, make sure you explain to the workers that you’re new and that you just had your second baby in two years. In your sleep deprived state the whole place can be a bit overwhelming.

it became 'our song': a CD giveaway

My son was two weeks old. I remember pacing the dimly lit nursery--the noisy room air conditioner barely audible. Alex was screaming and no one--not me, my husband nor my mom--could settle him. I ran and grabbed a CD a fellow Baby Bunching mom had given to me as a baby gift. She assured me it was one of the better baby music CDs out there, and as I put it in the CD player I prayed it would work.

He continued to scream and I started to cry. Until the song "It's Alright" came on, and its cricket sounds in the background finally calmed him down. It was like magic. He stopped. I don't know if it was the song or the way the song made me feel as I held him. But I stopped crying and he stopped crying and that become "our song."

I carried Sara Hickman's "Newborn" CD around the world with me--twice--when Alex was little. When I couldn't find a CD player, I would sing the songs. (This included a 6-hour plane ride.) Instantly he'd calm down. The entire CD is filled with sweet renditions of classic songs and some of Sara's own. We loved the CD so much that for Alex's first birthday, we bought her second children CD "Toddler," which was equally as beautiful for young kids. We actually listened to it in the car yesterday.

As soon as Anna made her appearance, I introduced her to the CD hoping this would again be the magical CD. And it was! She loved the songs but didn't make a connection with one particular song like Alex did, which was fine. I loved the idea that he and I had "our song." For her first year, we would listen to it as I nursed her late at night, and it still had some magical quality to it. Anna's song came around later and even at the age of three, I'm still singing it to her.

Because I'm so fond of the CD, Sara Hickman and I are giving away both the "Newborn" and "Toddler "CDs as a special Baby Bunching package. It makes a great gift for Baby Bunching moms since each child gets his own CD. A onesie with the child's name is included with the CD and will be sent from her directly. Here's what you have to do: Tell us about a special song you have with your child or one you had with your mom. I'll take responses by Nov. 3 and randomly pick a winner.