North to AK reviews

SwaddleBuddy Review: Thanks to you, my kids are sleeping in the same room.

2010-09-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Go ahead, read the title again. That's right -- I have a 2.5 year old and a 3 month old sleeping in the same room thanks to Pea Wee Baby.

We've known for a while that Lia (3 months) had to move out of our closet and into a room with her big sister Kira (2.5 years). First of all, a closet in an earthquake-prone area is not the best place to put an infant. Secondly, although I was getting more sleep than when she was next to me in a bassinet, the fact is I still would wake at every snort/shuffle she makes, plus she was waking up at night with arms out of the swaddle. With me going back to work, something had to give.

So I started researching. From Kira, I knew that the key to a successful night's sleep was a successful swaddle. However, it was hard to get a good swaddle around Lia, who was much bigger (and stronger) than Kira was at this age. At my wit's end, at three in the morning, I started imagining a device that would keep Lia's arms down so she didn't bust out of the swaddle and wake herself up.

Thank goodness Tamara at Pea Wee baby saw my tweet about my little Houdini baby! Pea Wee Baby offered to give me a swaddlebuddy in exchange for an honest review. This is my fourth night of trying it out, and let me tell you:

SWADDLEBUDDY WORKS!

My daughter has YET to bust out of the Swaddlebuddy and has slept soundly from 9pm to 7am. In fact, she sleeps so well now, we are sleeping both daughters in the same room without major incident. Incredible.

Lia in her normal wiggly way...
In her Swaddle Buddy
And in a minute, she is calm...
..and ready to SLEEP!

What I love about the Swaddlebuddy:

Durability: it is a durable but simple design that pins down the arms using velcro in the back. We've used it for four days, and I don't see any wear and tear on the swaddlebuddy.

It adjusts as your baby grows: The velcro is durable, and the "catch" portion of the velcro is wide, allowing you to adjust your swaddle as your baby grows.

Use any swaddle you like: The Swaddlebuddy comes with a nice receiving blanket, but works just as well with a SwaddleMe or any other brand of swaddle contraption.

It allows you to loosen up that swaddle just a bit: When I was swaddling without the Swaddlebuddy, it was always a struggle to get the swaddle tight enough so that Lia's arms wouldn't escape without feeling like I was "squishing" her. Now I can lighten up a bit on the tightness knowing that the Swaddlebuddy will keep Lia's arms down without tension.

Nice colors: I reviewed a pink swaddlebuddy with nice brown detailing, which is very cute.

Honestly I don't see anything in the design that I don't like. If you are a parent of an infant and like sleep...this is absolutely a tool you need in your sleep toolkit!

If you would like more information, check out Pea Wee Baby's website and facebook page. Here is a video that shows you how it works (and yes, it is that easy to swaddle an infant in a swaddlebuddy):

Ergo Baby Giveaway

2010-09-21T15:27:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone --

Long time, no Post :) I have a reason though...just had a little baby girl Lia. She is now three months old and we're always out of town trying to find wonderful places to take her.

Here's the problem --she is BIG and HEAVY so all of the things we used with Kira will not work with her! Yikes!

Me and my arms are dying for an ergo baby carrier. I see a LOT of women using them up here in Alaska, and they look so comfortable!

If you would like to check it out (and enter a giveaway for one) here is a link to Modest Mom! Giveaway ends 9/30!

Safety 1st Car Seat Giveaway

2009-10-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

This summer, my family's world turned upside down literally in a rollover car accident on a busy road. While I was out running a half marathon, my husband eased our chevy tracker containing our toddler and dog from a high point to a low point in a construction zone and the wheel fell off. This sent the car into a 2.5 time rollover into a median. The car was more than totalled but more to the point, our dog was thrown out of the car and my husband was torn up from head to toe from plastic and glass shards from the rollover and going through the window to get our daughter who was hanging upside down in her carseat. My daughter, who was in a safety 1st car seat, escaped with a very minor scratch on her neck.

Let me say that again, my daughter endured a major accident in her Safety 1st car seat and escaped with no major injuries.

So, I can tell you, Safety 1st's car seats are safe and the best thing you can buy for your child.

There is a giveaway right now at The Shopping Mama for their new car seat called Complete Air. It was specifically made to handle side impact crashes, which is something that many car seats do not do so well for.

If you need a car seat, please consider entering at the Shopping Mama or buying a Safety 1st car seat from your local retailer. The Giveaway ends 11/16.

Another Happy Green Bee Giveaway

2009-10-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

OK I've said it before -- I have a thing for Happy Green Bee clothing. This is my favorite dress:

Playground For Parents is having a giveaway for a hoodie which is really cute too:

Go to Playground for Parents above to enter! Ends on 11/6.

Gami Works giveaway!

2009-10-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

GamiWorks is a wonderful etsy shop of chiyogami inspired accessories. The beautiful paper inspires these designs.

Mom's Focus Online has a giveaway for a beautiful dogtag-style pendant like this one:

Giveaway closes on 10/31 so HURRY!!!!!

Hannah's Little Ladybug Tutu/Wings

2009-10-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

Kira loves her ladybug wings and antennae from Little Diva Tutus! Here is a video of her minutes after opening the box:

Yes, I know, this is a ladybug costume and not a butterfly costume, but frankly K has come into contact with very few ladybugs in her life and is OBSESSED with butterflies.

We have had the outfit for a few weeks now, and I can tell you that it is standing up well to a 19 month old's whims. Kira now puts the outfit on herself, usually as soon as she gets back from daycare. While the antennae bend a bit, I have not seen any wear and tear, nor have any of the spots on the wings fallen off. Anytime Kira has, well, run into walls with the wings on, they have been easily bent into place. This is one tough outfit!

So, other than the toughness of the wings, I really like the fact that the wings and headband stay put, even on a 19 month old who is small for her age. The colors are spot on, and the entire assembly is well constructed. I also like the fact that a purchase of the ladybug tutu benefits St. Jude's.

Now, if only I can get her into the tutu -- the tutu fits, I am sure, but K seems wary of the purpose of the tutu. Maybe we need to watch more Angelina Ballerina cartoons. We will try to get her into it this weekend for Trick or Treat town. Wish us luck!

See Kai Run Giveaway at Lolidots.com

2009-10-20T14:23:00.001-07:00

See Kai Run has fantastic shoes for little ones. We were lucky enough to find a set online last year, and K is finally getting to be able to wear her last-season's shoes. These shoes have very flexible soles, which is really great for little runners. The shoes we have are suede, and have stood up well in the mud/grime of pre-winter Anchorage with a little bit of weatherproofing protectant (a MUST for cold weather gear). The shoes we have are well lined even in the sole, which is also great for warmth.

Lolidots.com is giving away a set of these fantastic shoes! Please enter here by 10/26, don't miss your chance!

Another great Happy Green Bee Giveaway by My Wee View!

2009-10-16T06:24:00.001-07:00

Another great giveaway for Happy Green Bee is on, this time at My Wee View. Once again, look at these adorable clothes for children. These clothes are unique in their stripes, and organic. I like how the clothes are also relatively gender neutral.

Anyways, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and ENTER! Ends 10/23.

Beautiful dress giveaway by Piece of ME!

2009-10-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Look at this fantastic giveaway at Pieces of Me for a Shabby Apple for the dress above. Isn't it beautiful! This giveaway is part of many in the Fall into Fashion promotion on Piece of Me. You should check it out!

Babycape Giveaway at 5 Vinez Monkeys!

2009-10-14T12:59:00.001-07:00

Winter is just around the corner! Good thing Angie at 5 Vinez Monkeys is having a great giveaway sponsored byBabycapes. You can win a Blue Sherpa Suede babycapefor your little one. Stop by before 11:59pm ET on October 23rd and enter to win!

Eden's Bouquet Giveaway!

2009-10-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

Connected 2 Christ has a wonderful giveaway on at the moment for Eden's Bouquet Children's clothing. You truly have never seen children's clothing like this -- very vintage feel. Many of these would be perfect for the holiday season -- a true knockout in a sea of red and green velvet.

They also have beautiful hats and jackets. Definitely go to the site and check it out.

The giveaway ends 10/31.

Little Bits of Me

2009-10-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

When K was born, I bought a little necklace with her name on it -- that was my "Way to go! Mom!" present to myself, and it continues to be a constant reminder of how incredible this journey has been with her and for our family in general. It is also a constant reminder to keep the world in perspective, which is hard sometimes to do.

There is a GREAT giveaway happening (ends TODAY!!!) at Growing Your Baby for a Little Bits of Me hand stamped piece. Let me tell you, these pieces are BEAUTIFUL and UNIQUE, and that's coming from someone who has looked at a lot of hand stamped pendants. Even if you see this too late to be able to enter the giveaway, consider checking out Little Bits of Me.

In the Know: Benny & Moon: the classics (giveaway)

2009-10-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

Looking for a beautiful dress for your little one? In the Know Mom has a great giveaway for a beautiful dress at the moment (until 10/10): Enter the giveaway here!.

Safe and Unique Food Storage for Kids!

2009-10-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Great giveaway happening on In the Know Mom for Kinderville bowls, cups and storage containers. These are made of Silicone and are very safe for your kiddo! Enter anytime up to 10/12 : Kinderville (giveaway)

Safety Tat Giveaway!

2009-10-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

Go check out the Back 2 Blogging Bash on Jabbering Jessi. She is giving away a sample pack of safety tat in either boy, girl or multi from Safety Tat.

Kidorable Review

2009-10-03T17:22:00.001-07:00

The weather here has been wonderful up until a week ago. Suddenly, our sunny fall days seem behind us, replaced with the wet and rainy period that precedes winter. When I saw this umbrella in the Kidorable line, I knew this was exactly the thing that K needed (or maybe I should say, I needed :)) to get through this weather with some fun and style.

Kidorable makes great functional children's outdoor gear in wonderful themes like the one we chose -- ladybug. Honestly, from pirates to cats, there is a theme that your child will be excited about.

We bought a Ladybug umbrella, hat, and mittens set from Kidorable. My biggest concern was that the items may not be functional -- that they would be cute but not stand up to either the weather or a toddler. I shouldn't have worried. Here are some close ups before K got a hold of 'em:

The umbrella itself is really cute. It's quite sturdy, and folds up nice and tight. The eyes cleverly retract when the umbrella is closed. The handle is secured to the metal, and the prongs were not sharp. I slid my hand around the metal framework and didn't get a scratch. Essentially, this was a great first umbrella for K.

As you can see in this picture, the hat is beautiful. I was also happy to see that the spots as well as the bug were carefully stitched into the hat, so that you didn't have any spots that were easily pulled off. The hat is appropriately woven (not too tight, not too loose) so that it easily gets on and off the head, but is relatively warm for our fall (40 degree weather).

The mittens are also well made, but it was tough to get K to keep them on enough to get pictures. I was happy to see that the mittens were strung together which will be wonderful for our winter weather (no more lost mittens).

Field Test:

Once I let her see the set, she loved them. She carried the umbrella around the house for a good half hour, talking to it, bumping it into walls, stepping on it, etc. There was no damage to the umbrella under close inspection. This umbrella is sturdy!

This weekend was the perfect time to take the umbrella and hat outside for a spin:

Let's just say she loved it.

Pros: Beautiful, functional hats and mittens! Wonderfully stitched to make the "dots" hard to pull off! Umbrella is sturdy, easy for toddlers to manage without help. The "theme" of ladybug was wonderfully executed across the pieces. True to brand, the items were both functional and fun.

Improvements: Would like the black spots to continue all the way around the hat -- Honestly I like the hat with the ladybug on the side, not straight on the forehead. If possible it would be great to have fingerless mittens with a ladybug flap -- would be cute and functional up here for the bumper months!

All and all, we are really thrilled with our purchase, and I would totally recommend Kidorable to anyone.

Moose on the Loose!

2009-10-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

Eventhough her father and I are typical midwesterners by birth, our daughter is an Alaskan through and through. Her first animals that she recognized were dog, moose, birds and bears.

So, I know she would love the book Moose on the Loose by Sleeping Bear Press. The artwork looks adorable, and anything with a Moose is funny to her, and the idea of a Moose in her tub would send her into a giggle fit!

There is a great giveaway underway at MommyPR for this book until 10/13! Enter for your own copy!

New Reviews Coming

2009-09-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hey! I'm going to do some reviews up here...including Kidorable! Let me know what else you would like to see me try. Particularly, I'm interested in cold-weather gear for children -- the termination dust tells me there's not that much time until snow is on the ground here!

Strider Bike Givaway

2009-09-25T16:00:00.001-07:00

I CANNOT WAIT to get Miss K on a bike so that we can ride down the bike trail together. After researching for a long time, I am really keen on getting a Strider Running Bike for Miss K's first bike. Striders are build on the idea that it is important to get the coordination and balance concepts of riding down first before pedaling -- pedaling for young children tends to get in the way. Now that the snow is on the way, it may be more worthwhile to get Miss K skis (maybe striders come with ice grips ???), but these bikes also grow with your child, so they will last multiple years (and children).

Anyways, there is a giveaway on at Bragging Mommy for a strider bike which ends on 10/7. Enter here.

Fabowlous giveaway

2009-09-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Go check out the Back 2 Blogging Bash on Jabbering Jessi she is giving away a bumblebee tutu from Simply faBOWlous! Check out all the other beautiful Tutus and accessories!

Beautiful petal dress!

2009-09-25T15:02:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the most simple idea is the best. Here's a dress design that is simple and interesting from Happy Green Bee. I love the hem with the opposing stripes. What a wonderful dress to twirl in, and it comes in incredibly creative colors.

Win it at Mudpies and Mary Janes but enter by 10/3!

Kidorable Is Adorable

2009-09-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Another fantastic givaway by Mommy Loves Givaways!

Kidorable has wonderfully cute children's items including cute umbrellas like the one above. Wouldn't this make jumping in puddles that much more fun? I bet so.

Giveaway ends on October 1, so hurry on over there and enter!

Smell Nice!

2009-09-18T12:40:00.001-07:00

After work, I try to spend about a half hour doing something for me before trying to tackle housework or any other errand. It's hard to do, because I either tend to keep working or get the housework done. One way I've learned to get out of those habits is to immediately jump in the shower.

I think a lot of moms of toddlers find a lot of solace in the shower. It's like a mini vacation. Why not up the ante and make it a mini spa experience by adding handmade soap to your routine? Latherati has a beautiful collection of soaps that would totally fit this purpose. Additionally I like how each has a book theme -- you could fantasize about having time to read the books.

Audrey's Giveaways is hosting a giveaway to Latherati -- enter here!

How do you tell if your kid needs to go to the doc?

2009-09-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Very good question. We have a 24x7 service at our pediatrician that we can call, but it takes a while to get information back. Not great early in the morning when your daughter wakes up with a terrible cold/fever.

Here is a book that really delves into these issues in a very practical manner. Find out what strange toddler symptoms are a serious problem, which are not. Stop worrying and pouring over internet resources that may/may not be right (I've been known to research to death because you can always find some information that is contradictory to all that you have researched so far!).

There is a giveaway at Parenting Our Kids for this book. Consider entering!

Enter Here

Zooni Giveaway!

2009-09-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a great giveaway from a company who makes the most beautiful hats for children! Since they are lined with fleece, I think they would be especially welcome up here in AK where hat fashion is often superceded by functionality. Can you imagine a kid with this hat sledding on the Service High School hill? I can.

Here's a link to My Wee View for the Giveaway:
http://myweeview.com/2009/09/zooni-item-of-your-choice/

Welcome followers of NorthtoAK!

2009-09-18T12:07:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone --

Welcome over here from North to AK! Let me know what you think of the new page.

Welcome!

2009-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

The intention of this website is to review recipes and products, and to alert you of great giveaways!

You can also get a hold of me on my personal site: http://northtoak.blogspot.com .

Thanks!