Fish Price Rearview Mirror

Price: Approximately $14.99

The above link, and the picture, are not the exact mirror I have, but its extremely similar and by the same brand name

The carseat inspection officer (not really an officer, I just want to make him sound official) frowned upon the rearview baby mirror we have - but i LOVE it. I understand that looking at your baby through the rearview mirror while driving can be extremely dangerous, but it's nice to have when at a stop light or what have you. I was unable to use it for a week when we went to OBX (it didn't cooperate with the vehicle we were using) and I really missed having it.

Pros:

-allows you to easily check on your baby/child

-fun for the child to look at

-bendable strap that allows for (almost) universal use, and secure positioning

-does not take up alot of your rearview mirror space, or your rearview window space

-the mirror is made of a flexible reflective surface. not your classic mirror. if you are in a car accident this mirror will not shatter and do the same damage that a classic mirror would do. I don't think it would do much of any damage actually.

Cons:

-The mirror is made from a flexible reflective material that distorts the baby's face (much like a funhouse mirror).

-I couldn't figure out how to use it in an SUV. perhaps I didn't try hard enough

Since it's deemed "unsafe" I will not recommend it. I will, however, say that I really like this item and have been using it for almost a year now. I plan to continue to use it for Baby #2.

Carter's Pop Floral Tote Diaper Bag vs J.J. Cole Method Stroller Bag vs Gap Bella Tuno Diaper Bag

Carter's Pop Floral Tote Diaper Bag:
Price: my bag is no longer on BRU website but you can find it on other sites for $25-$30

Mine is very similar to the picture except it's all brown. I basically wanted something neutral in color that was easy to keep clean and has many pockets. This bag has 6 pockets on the outside, 1 zip compartment on the inside, and a divider in the inside creating 2 large compartments, and it zips shut. It also comes with a changing pad and an accessory pouch. Overall I really like it. It's a nylon material, so it's very easy to just wipe clean. The only problem I have is that sometimes the straps will slide off my shoulder and the bag will fall down to my elbow. This can be a pain when I'm carrying my son in my other arm. I think next time I will go for more of a messenger-style bag or possibly even a back-pack style.

Would I Recommend: Sure. It's been a great bag. If you're looking for a tote-style diaper bag, this one is great.

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J.J. Cole Method Stroller Bag:
Price:$49.99

This diaper bag was purchased as "ryan's" diaper bag. I (Alicia) had picked out my own more girly bag (see below), so Ryan and I headed over to BRU to find one that he would be comfortable carrying around when it's just him and Jude (if you ask Ryan though, he'll never admit that he 'tried on' a variety of bags to find the perfect one).

Pros:

- made of a very durable (gender neutral) nylon material

- ooddles of pockets for storing multiple items inside and out of the bag

- perfect size for a quick trip out and about (not good for a full day trip)

- we have used it for purposes other than a diaper bag. It does not look very baby-ish so was perfect to tote things around on our own personal day trips.

- came with a changing pad (we didn't know this though and purchased our own changing pad)

- has attachments to easily hook to a stroller

- messenger bag style makes for easy access into the bag while holding baby

Cons:

- on the smaller side of diaper bags so not good for long trips

Would I Recommend: Yes. If you won't be gone for long day trips, this is a great bag.

Gap Bella Tuno Diaper Bag:
Price: $69.99

I saw this bag while shopping around Gap Maternity and just HAD to have it. So, of course, I got it. It came in two color options (brown and green and blue and pink) and looked rather large.

Pros:
- Large enough to fit four (cloth) diapers, a changing pad, extra clothes, toys, sun block and much more.
- Very attractive! (in my opinion)
- I have it in the brown and green, so it’s pretty neutral and doesn’t “clash” with a lot of stuff.
- Wide straps spread the weight out on the shoulder, so it doesn’t weight you down
- Top can tie closed with ribbon, but doesn’t zipper for easy access into the bag.
- Large pockets on the outside for mom’s personal items or other supplies

Cons:
- Didn’t come with a changing pad or anything - I had to purchase these items separately (and for the price of the bag, I feel it should have had something)
- The shape of the bag is designed so it’s wider on the bottom than the top. It’s convenient for stacking items inside, but makes it more difficult to get things OUT of the bag.
- Shoulder style bag in general makes it more difficult to get things in/out with baby in your arms

Would I Recommend: I’m torn. Part of me says no, but part of me says yes. I carry this bag more often than our black messenger bag, but that’s mostly because of looks (and it’s usually prepacked). In general I love it, but I would also recommend that you look around at other options, try them on and think of the items you might be carrying with you on a regular basis and how easy it is to get in and out of the bag you’ve chosen before selecting one.

Recommend: Stroller Hooks

Stroll'r Swivel'rs
Price= $5.99

This is another item I threw on my registry and received at my shower. I assumed they would come in handy whether the stroller I was using had storage or not (one of my strollers does, one doesn't). Sure enough, I've used them a handful of times! You can't hang anything too heavy from them or the stroller will become off balance, but they are great for light-medium bags. My diaper bag is usually the heaviest thing I carry around so I throw it in the storage compartment of the stroller and then hang the lighter bags from the hooks. They are great for free'ing up your arms. I imagine they will be great when the day comes that Trent wants me to hold him as we walk through the mall. It will be bad enough I still have to push the stroller, but at least I wont have to push the stroller, carry my bags, AND carry the heavy child. This is just one of those little items that it doesn't hurt to have. You may not use them often, but you'll be glad you have them when you do use them.

Pros:
-snaps onto most strollers
-the hooks swivel 360 degrees
-inexpensive
-they are made of plastic, so they are easy to clean

Cons:
-can be difficult to remove from stroller
-some reviews on BRU say they break easily (mine have held up well so far)

Recommend: Yes. I like them. They would make a good bow-alternative if you are giving a baby gift.

Boppy Pillow - A Double Take

Bare Pillow: $29.99
Pillow Covers: $9.99-$25.99
Boppy w/Cover: $35.99 - $44.99



Alicia's Take: When I dropped the news that I was pregnant to a friend (a guy friend) the first thing he told me was “I’m going to buy you a boppy!”. Apparently he had one for his kids and swore by it (he never did buy it for me though). I personally have mainly used it for feedings, so I can not fully account for the other uses, but it was very helpful with feedings. When I first began breastfeeding, my husband and I had a system where I would sit down cross legged with the boppy on my legs and baby on top of the boppy. It put him at the perfect height for feedings and saved my arms from having to do all the work. Now that he is getting older we’ve gotten away from the regimented boppy feedings and I haven’t really touched the pillow much at all (mostly because the pillow is in his room and I do most of my feedings in the living room), but I still agree with many other parents that it really is a great product. For us, it really helped with the system and avoided needing three pillow to go around my body like some people told me they did.


Even though I very rarely used it for anything outside of feedings, the few times I put him in the center of the boppy while I was doing stuff around the house, it did give me piece of mind that he wouldn't roll off the couch or anything. So I could see why someone would love it for reasons beyond feeding.

As for the covers, mine came with a cover already on it. I have yet to wash it (does that make me dirty?), but I guess in my opinion it could be nice to have regardless. Specifically if your baby spits up on it – even though the pillow will still have the stain, at least your baby’s not laying directly on it AND can make cleaning quicker since pillows can take awhile to dry AND you can have one in the wash and a clean one on the pillow for much less than the cost of two pillows. Perhaps boppy should invest in making some water proof covers that absorb the mess, but keep it from getting on the pillow itself to make it a more practical purchase. _____________________________________________


Barbie's Take: I often hear people say, "the boppy pillow is god". While I do love my boppy, I do not feel like it is the #1 must-have of all time. Apparently Boppy pillows are great for helping an infant with tummy time and sitting up, but I never used it for these things. I used it solely for breast feeding. And like i said, I loved it! It allowed my hands to be free and it kept Trent high enough that I did not have to slouch (it saved my back!!!!). Mine was given to me (THANKS MEGAN!!) so I did not have to shell out any money, but based on the prices above I would definitely say they are reasonably priced and worth every penny....if you're going to breast feed. If you aren't, I wouldn't think it to be a top priority (again, this is just based on my experience. I've heard formula mothers swear by the boppy).

Often times my son would fall asleep right after nursing and I'd have to get up. The boppy, being a "C" shape, would fall to the floor. There are other nursing pillows out there (called My Breast Friend) that have a strap that goes all around mommy's torso, keeping the pillow in place. I have never tried this pillow but I would like to.

Bottom line is, if you're going to breast feed I would definitely recommend getting a nursing pillow of some sort, whether it's Boppy or not.

As for the boppy cases, I think they are unnecessary. I have one that I have never used. If spit up gets on the case it will soak through to the pillow, so you end up having to wash both items anyway. With that being said, my boppy is not plain white; it has a cute print on it. If yours is plain and you want to make it cute, by all means, get yourself a case.

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Pros:
- Helpful with feedings
- Many uses – feeding, sitting around, helps hold baby in cradle position, tummy time, etc.
- Reasonably priced
- Many attractive covers and options
- Appears to be durable and well made

Cons:
- Even with a cover, the spit up and other messes can leak through to the pillow

Do We Recommend: Yes.

Baby Bibs - A Double Take

Barbie's Take: In general I hate bibs. They cover cute outfits and my son used to like to put them over his face and then hyperventilate until we lowered it. But sometimes they are necessary. My son went through a big spit-up phase where he was wearing a bib almost all day long in an attempt to minimize outfit changes. Over time i realized the best bibs for spit-up and drooling are the Carter's Keep-Me-Clean bibs. The description says "they are constructed from cotton terry and feature an interlock lining with a water barrier interlining". Basically, liquid does not soak right through the entire bib. While it's not 100% water-proof, and your child's clothing will still get a little wet, its a much better alternative to your classic bib. I'm under the impression you can only get these bibs in a 3-pack, but they are all very cute designs. There are girly ones, boyish ones, and gender neutral designs to choose from. I should also mention they are fairly large in size as well (a plus for keeping clothes clean, but a con because it completely covers the top half of an outfit).



Alicia's Take: I remember when I was going through all of the outfits I got for my shower, I was amazed at how many of them came with coordinating bibs (and how many packs of bibs I got!). I separated the bibs from all the outfits though and put them all in a little canvas crate in his room for easy access after Jude was born. I maybe went back into that crate 2 or 3 times since then. I personally just never thought to put a bib on Jude and the few times I did, I thought they looked stupid and covered his adorable outfits. We personally had quite a few outfits that I put into Jude’s “too small” box unworn, so if he spit up on something I really didn’t mind changing his outfit because it was an excuse to circulate through more of his clothes before they no longer fit.

As Jude’s coming out of his spit up phase, he’s going into his drooling stage. It’s not uncommon for him to slobber all over the collars of his shirts. I’m sure if he was a winter/fall baby I’d be more concerned, but at a summer baby, it’s not like he’ll freeze to death if it’s a little wet and in the event it DOES get too wet I again, just change him.
Personally I just don’t see them being worth buying. But if they come with the outfit, it doesn’t hurt to have them hanging around just in case.

Recommend: Lamaze Plush Toys

Price: average range is between $10 and $20
When I was pregnant and registering I remember quickly browsing the toy section but not really giving toys too much thought – there were plenty of other things we needed more. After having Jude, we received a gift package from a friend with a collection of plush toys that I remember thinking were adorable and then got tossed in the toy box until he was able to use them. Recently Jude started to take blankets, his hand, anything and put it in his mouth. I thought it was the perfect time to introduce toys and went back to the toy box to pull out age appropriate items. This included a number of Lamaze Plush Toys. They were just as adorable when I pulled them out as I remembered them being when I first received them.

Pros:
- Available in a variety of shapes and sizes
- Bright colors and usually multiple features to stimulate a variety of your child’s senses (educational). For example: mirrors, multiple fabrics in different colors and textures, noise makers, etc.
- As with most children’s toys, they are typically labeled with the age group they are most appropriate for to make your selection easier.
- Smaller toys come with hooks to attach to strollers, car seats, diaper bags, etc to make it easier to tote around.
- Don’t require batteries (maybe a con for the items that do have some electronic parts?) – most of the noise features are not electronic (crinkles, rattles, squeakers etc)
- Seem to be well make – won’t fall apart easily

Cons:
- Because of all the noise parts and other attachments on them, they’re difficult to clean (when your baby puts them in their mouth it’d be nice to be able to clean first).
- Some of the smaller toys seem a little on the expensive side. I’ve seen the small toys for 14.99 and ones double their size for just over 20 dollars (when I’ve purchased them for myself, I always got the bigger toys for this reason). Considering the size difference it seems you get more bang-for-your-buck with the bigger options.

Would I Recommend: Yes! Jude seems to love them. Last night I put him on his tummy with a variety of the toys laying around him and he was very interested in what was happening.

Barbie agrees 100% with everything Alicia says. Trent absolutely loves his lamaza toys!

Do Not Recommend: Sassy Earth Smart Diaper Sack Dispenser

Price: $5.49

I often wondered what I would do with poopy diapers while I was out and about...namely, at a person's house.

While at BRU (Babies R Us) one day, this cute little accessory caught my eye. I thought it'd be perfect for us. It's only a couple inches big, so it'd fit right into the bottom of my diaper bag and be super convenient for those stinky diapers I was so concerned about.

Well, I've used maybe a dozen or so of the bags and I can honestly say this item is not worth the $5.49. It's not so much the container that I don't like, its the actual bags that are a waste - and the bags make up half the product. Every other bag I use rips before I even get it open! Because of this I do not recommend the product.

Since Trent's poops weren't super poopy-smelling for a while (until recently) I found myself simply putting the diaper right in the kitchen trash. If you don't feel comfortable doing that (understandably) I'd recommend putting the diaper in a grocery bag and tying it together and/or putting the diaper in the outdoor trash can.

Pros:

-snazzy colors/designs

-case has a hook for easy access

-refill bags are seemingly easy to come by at BRU

-the scent of the bags is very mild

-case comes with 25 bags to begin with

-biodegradable

Cons:

-bags are terrible quality