Baby bottles are a necessity for all babies, even if you're breastfeeding you'll still want to use bottles for giving water to the baby. You'll also want them for times that you're not around or just to let dad share in the baby feeding experience. But there are so many different bottles and sizes and nipples to choose from, what do you do?
There are basically two bottle sizes to choose from: 4 oz and 8 oz. The 4 oz bottles are for newborns and you will use those for the first couple of months. Then, as baby's appetite grows, switch to 8 oz bottles, which you'll use for the first year or so until you switch to sippy cups. How many bottles do you need? I would get three to six 4 oz bottles and six 8 oz bottles.
Which baby bottles do I like? For most babies, the Evenflo Classic Glass Bottle will work fine. They are cheap and easy to clean, which means they won't smell like sour milk. Some people worry about the bottle breaking, but that is very unlikely as it is very thick glass. You could also buy these bottles with the silicone sleeve on them. They are safe and look cool and would make a nice gift, but they are also more expensive.
We started with the basic glass bottles, but our daughter spit up constantly (more so than the average baby) so we tried out a few different bottles to see what worked best to keep that milk in her tummy. We decided on Dr. Brown's bottles. These are designed to prevent air bubbles, thus reducing gas and spit up (for feeding tips check this out.) They didn't eliminate her spitting up but they greatly reduced it and made us much happier as a result. The bottles have a few more parts to it, making clean-up a little more effort but are dishwasher safe.
What's the deal with the nipple types? Basically, the nipples control how fast the milk flows to the baby. So for newborns, you want slow flow or level 1 nipples. After a couple of months, you'll switch to medium flow or level 2. Then around six months or so, you'll want the the fast flow or level 3. Make sure you pick up a bottle brush as well. This one comes with a larger brush for cleaning bottles as well as a smaller brush hidden inside the handle that cleans out the nipples. It also has a base so it can sit upright on the sink.
So there you have it. Some information to help make the bottle buying process a little easier
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Review
Today I would like to review a toy that makes a great baby gift. It is one of my daughter's favorite toys. In fact, she liked it so much that we got another one to keep at Grandma's. It is the LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Set.
This toy can be played with on the floor, but it also has a big magnet on the back so that you can stick it on the fridge. The animal pieces are magnets as well and can be stored on the fridge when not is use. It is great for babies just learning to stand up. Just put it on the fridge at their eye level and they'll hold themselves up against the fridge and push the buttons on the farm to hear the sounds.
The fridge farm consists of five animals (sheep,horse,cow,pig,duck) made up of a front half and a back half. The child puts the two halves of the animal in the farm and it sings a song. If the child puts in the halves of two different animals it still sings a song but with silly results that will make both baby and parents laugh.
Pushing the animal on top of the barn results in music as well and that was my daughters favorite part. She would hit the duck again and again, dancing and twirling to the catchy banjo tunes. If you have a birthday for a one year old coming up, definitely check out the LeapFrog Fridge Farm. It will provide hours of dancing, knee-slapping entertainment at a low price.
This toy can be played with on the floor, but it also has a big magnet on the back so that you can stick it on the fridge. The animal pieces are magnets as well and can be stored on the fridge when not is use. It is great for babies just learning to stand up. Just put it on the fridge at their eye level and they'll hold themselves up against the fridge and push the buttons on the farm to hear the sounds.
The fridge farm consists of five animals (sheep,horse,cow,pig,duck) made up of a front half and a back half. The child puts the two halves of the animal in the farm and it sings a song. If the child puts in the halves of two different animals it still sings a song but with silly results that will make both baby and parents laugh.
Pushing the animal on top of the barn results in music as well and that was my daughters favorite part. She would hit the duck again and again, dancing and twirling to the catchy banjo tunes. If you have a birthday for a one year old coming up, definitely check out the LeapFrog Fridge Farm. It will provide hours of dancing, knee-slapping entertainment at a low price.
Gifts New Parents Want Most
Are you trying to find the perfect baby shower gift? Do you want to make sure the new parents will use the gift and that it will fill a need for them? Here are a few tips to help your present stand out.
Most people buy baby clothes as gifts for the baby shower. Combined with the clothes the new parents have already bought (because who can resist, they're so cute), the results are more clothes than the baby can wear especially since they grow out of them so fast. So I would skip the baby clothes, but if you must, buy a bigger size in the 6-12 month range. Be sure to take their climate into consideration as well. Don't buy shorts and t-shirts if it will be winter when they fit them. Also, look at buying organic cotton clothes. This will make them stand out and the parents will appreciate clothing their child in chemical free garb.
Disposable diapers such as Pampers are also a common gift parents receive. Diapers can always be in demand as a child will go through thousands until they are potty trained, but you may want to buy size 2 diapers as they will receive many newborn and size 1 diapers. A better gift is to buy the new cloth reusable diapers like Fuzzibunz(see my fuzzibunz review.) They work just as well as disposable, yet they can be reused over and over, saving the parents hundreds of dollars.
Our favorite gift that we received was the Tiny Love Classic Mobile.
This mobile kept our daughter entertained for hours and was great for quieting her tantrums. The music combined with the vibrant colors and shapes really had a calming effect on her and she loved to watch it go round and round. The price is great too as it can be had for around $30.
For a little more money, a swing makes a great gift for new parents who are sure to be short on sleep. This Bright Starts Comfort and Harmony Portable Swing is comfortable and doesn't take up much space. It has 6 speeds and 6 melodies to lull even the fussiest baby into a deep sleep, allowing parents time to take a nap as well.
So there are just a few ideas to ensure a great gift for your next baby shower.
Most people buy baby clothes as gifts for the baby shower. Combined with the clothes the new parents have already bought (because who can resist, they're so cute), the results are more clothes than the baby can wear especially since they grow out of them so fast. So I would skip the baby clothes, but if you must, buy a bigger size in the 6-12 month range. Be sure to take their climate into consideration as well. Don't buy shorts and t-shirts if it will be winter when they fit them. Also, look at buying organic cotton clothes. This will make them stand out and the parents will appreciate clothing their child in chemical free garb.
Disposable diapers such as Pampers are also a common gift parents receive. Diapers can always be in demand as a child will go through thousands until they are potty trained, but you may want to buy size 2 diapers as they will receive many newborn and size 1 diapers. A better gift is to buy the new cloth reusable diapers like Fuzzibunz(see my fuzzibunz review.) They work just as well as disposable, yet they can be reused over and over, saving the parents hundreds of dollars.
Our favorite gift that we received was the Tiny Love Classic Mobile.
This mobile kept our daughter entertained for hours and was great for quieting her tantrums. The music combined with the vibrant colors and shapes really had a calming effect on her and she loved to watch it go round and round. The price is great too as it can be had for around $30.For a little more money, a swing makes a great gift for new parents who are sure to be short on sleep. This Bright Starts Comfort and Harmony Portable Swing is comfortable and doesn't take up much space. It has 6 speeds and 6 melodies to lull even the fussiest baby into a deep sleep, allowing parents time to take a nap as well.
So there are just a few ideas to ensure a great gift for your next baby shower.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair Review
The high chair is a necessary piece of baby gear for most new parents. What chair should you go with if you're short on space as well as funds? The Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair is the answer.
The Fisher Price chair fits perfectly on most kitchen and dining room and is secured by straps that go around and underneath the chair. The straps use buckles and are easy to attach and remove from chairs, making it very portable. It is also lightweight and compact and easy to store.
The seat is comfortable and includes secure straps and buckles to keep the baby safe. It is also adjustable so it can accommodate a growing child. My favorite thing about the high chair is the tray. It is big and easy to remove. It is also very easy to clean and is dishwasher safe as well.
So if you need a high chair, check out the Space Saver. It is safe and secure and works as well as the full size models, but doesn't require an extra chair in the room. All of this for under $50 makes it a bargain.
The Fisher Price chair fits perfectly on most kitchen and dining room and is secured by straps that go around and underneath the chair. The straps use buckles and are easy to attach and remove from chairs, making it very portable. It is also lightweight and compact and easy to store.
The seat is comfortable and includes secure straps and buckles to keep the baby safe. It is also adjustable so it can accommodate a growing child. My favorite thing about the high chair is the tray. It is big and easy to remove. It is also very easy to clean and is dishwasher safe as well.
So if you need a high chair, check out the Space Saver. It is safe and secure and works as well as the full size models, but doesn't require an extra chair in the room. All of this for under $50 makes it a bargain.
Fuzzibunz Cloth Diaper Review
Would you like to save over $500? How about over $2500? Would you like to save this money and the environment at the same time? It's easy to do. Just pick reusable, cloth diapers like Fuzzibunz over disposable diapers like Pampers.
Here is how the math breaks down. We'll use 2 1/2 years as the average time a child is in diapers. That is 912 days. We'll say we change diapers 6 times a day, which is on the conservative side. Then we'll say we spend $.20 per diaper, which for Pampers is a very good deal. So lets add that up.
Now say you have 3 children. You'll have to buy diapers all over again thus your total is:
However, by buying Fuzzibunz diapers, you'll only spend a few hundred dollars. Lets check the math on that. Fuzzibunz one size diapers cost around $19 for each diaper (you can buy them in 6 and 12 packs as well). One size diapers fit babies from 10-45 lbs so you can use them practically from birth until they are potty trained. You may need disposable diapers for a month or two at the beginning until they hit that 10 lb mark, but you'll still come out way ahead. Depending on how often you want to wash diapers, you'll need around 15-24 fuzzibunz diapers. So the cost is:
Now you can add in the cost of detergent (which is minimal because you don't use much each time) and hot water, but you'll still end up saving over $500 (we line dry our diapers overnight, so there is no dryer expense for us.) Plus, they can be used for future kids as well, which means you'll be saving over $1000 for each additional child. You'll also save thousands of diapers from going into the landfill. Now that's what I call a good return on investment.
But do they work you say? Absolutely! They are as easy to use as using regular diapers. They come in lots of fashionable colors and are very durable. So I heartily recommend using Fuzzibunz diapers as they make sense both financially and environmentally. They are cute also and make a great gift!
Get Fuzzibunz One Size Diapers at Amazon today.
Here is how the math breaks down. We'll use 2 1/2 years as the average time a child is in diapers. That is 912 days. We'll say we change diapers 6 times a day, which is on the conservative side. Then we'll say we spend $.20 per diaper, which for Pampers is a very good deal. So lets add that up.
912 x 6 x .20 = $1094 for the lifetime cost of one child in diapers.
Now say you have 3 children. You'll have to buy diapers all over again thus your total is:
$1094 x 3 = $3282 spent on diapers.
However, by buying Fuzzibunz diapers, you'll only spend a few hundred dollars. Lets check the math on that. Fuzzibunz one size diapers cost around $19 for each diaper (you can buy them in 6 and 12 packs as well). One size diapers fit babies from 10-45 lbs so you can use them practically from birth until they are potty trained. You may need disposable diapers for a month or two at the beginning until they hit that 10 lb mark, but you'll still come out way ahead. Depending on how often you want to wash diapers, you'll need around 15-24 fuzzibunz diapers. So the cost is:
15 diapers x $19 = $285 to 24 diapers x $19 = $456
Now you can add in the cost of detergent (which is minimal because you don't use much each time) and hot water, but you'll still end up saving over $500 (we line dry our diapers overnight, so there is no dryer expense for us.) Plus, they can be used for future kids as well, which means you'll be saving over $1000 for each additional child. You'll also save thousands of diapers from going into the landfill. Now that's what I call a good return on investment.
But do they work you say? Absolutely! They are as easy to use as using regular diapers. They come in lots of fashionable colors and are very durable. So I heartily recommend using Fuzzibunz diapers as they make sense both financially and environmentally. They are cute also and make a great gift!
Get Fuzzibunz One Size Diapers at Amazon today.
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