Give Away: Obuba Nursing Cover-Up

The Obuba wrap takes care of the only complaint I had about the traditional nursing cover--no coverage for the back!  I think we can all agree that your entire midsection is affected by the stretching for baby, so I am happy to have something to conceal that mess while my Tshirt is hiked up in feeding mode.  The Obuba provides complete coverage for nursing in public.  I have never even had a "close one."  It fits larger nursers, smaller nurses, and everyone in-between. 

Although I LOVE that it covers my back, I am just as impressed that I can multi-purpose it!  I cut down on the bulk of carrying multiple things for baby because I don't need to pack an extra blanket.  The Obuba can be a very soft, light stretch, machine washable, large cotton blanket.  It is definitely a nice material.

Other things I love about it: 

1) super cute colors and trims! 

2) I also love the removeable velcro strap (it buttons on-yay!) that allows you to wrap the Obuba super tight for conserving valuable diaper bag space.    

3) I own the red one and have found the dyes to be high quality with no bleeding when I machine wash it with regular detergent. 

I'm not sure why it's called Obuba (pronounced Oh-Boo-Bah), which doesn't seem much better than the lovely named "Hooter Hider."  Regardless, I am now a faithful follower.

Buy it at the Obuba official website, or save a little cash and buy what I think must be last year's clearance styles at their etsy shop.  Just keep in mind it would make a great baby shower gift for new moms who are trying to figure out nursing!

Who wants to find out how great the Obuba Wrap is for themselves?  Enter by leaving a comment with the color you would like for a chance to be our random winner on January 21st!  

Healthy Eating

Do you have a picky eater?  So do I.  Here an idea to help your child make healthy food choices since my 5 year old is all about choices and I'm so done with candy.

Following the current food pyramid, I made my own out of paper. It shows all the food groups.  After finding out my daughter's suggested servings in each food group, I drew the appropriate number of lines to achieve in a day.  With a needle, thread some ribbon through buttons and through each end of the pyramid.  Tie loose ends on the back side.  

The plan: let your child move the button after eating a serving from a particular food group.  Then when they are hungry they can make a choice from a group that is lacking.  Even though I made a pyramid for each of my girls, this is mostly for my oldest who is beginning to understand that we eat to keep our bodies healthy.  I don't intend to use it forever, maybe a couple of weeks.  Hopefully we will recognize how to make better food choices.  I say we because its a good reminder for myself especially with the holidays coming.

MyPyramid.gov is a great resource for using the food pyramid. This is a good place to start your nutrition search.  For more healthy knowledge, read the book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy."  It is an excellent, must-read for the nutritionally conscious! It can be found on Amazon for as low as $3.72.

Nursing Covers by Bebe au Lait

Did you miss World Breastfeeding Week? So did I...and I'm always looking for an excuse to celebrate something with a little cake. It's just a small week in August to remind us what a big difference breastfeeding can make.

What better way to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, than to find ways to make breastfeeding just a little easier. And a nursing cover is exactly that thing. The founders of Bebe au Lait are the genious' behind the nursing cover. Never heard of them? That's because they're the Hooter Hider in disguise.

Same great nursing cover product, different tag for the mom who's buying the product to cover up, not make a sign that advertises what's going on under there. Fear not, you can still buy an official "Hooter Hider" tagged nursing cover, if it fancies you.

Bebe au Lait runs about $35, which is around the same price of the competitors. However, they also have an organic line, which is a bit more at $50. I have the organic Bebe au Lait, and for some reason I expected it to be itchy. Not so. It's super soft and I like how the material lays where you put it (especially because placement is so key).

Do you want to make your own nursing cover? Check out the August edition of Utah Baby Guide, a free magazine which is available online in PDF form. They have a step by step tutorial, complete with pictures of every step, so it's great for a beginning project. I made my own so I could compare home-made to the Bebe au Lait. The results?

My comparison:

• When making my own, I was limited to the material available at the fabric store. I bought the only one I really liked, but it wasn't as nice of quality. You could order a fabric you really like, but then it ends up getting to be about the same price as just buying one. Fabric choice is key. Buy the wrong style and children everywhere will be asking their mothers why "that lady is wearing an apron in the park"? You are bound to love one of the fabric selections of the Bebe au Lait.
• The boning in the home-made one keeps protruding ragged pieces of plastic through the material. I'll cut it off, then a couple of weeks later I'll find another little piece poking out. It's like it's growing... I bet you could melt the end of the boning before you sew it in to your home-made version and that would take care of the problem. But now I have made 2 nursing covers for the price of buying 1 that would be right in the first place.
• I like the larger strap on the Bebe Au Lait. It's more comfortable, and the D-rings hold the strap in place much better.
  
• BUT, I do like the option of making the nursing cover wider for more coverage, which I highly recommend if you plan to make it.
  

They both have their good points, it's up to you to take the plunge...whether it's into your dusty sewing machine, or a plunge into your pocketbook. Either way, the nursing cover is a fantastic necessity for breastfeeding on the go.

Boon Groovy and Fluid

With the barrage of media coverage circling around BPA and Phthalates (two potentially harmful chemicals) that reportedly can leach from plastics, it is hard not to be totally freaked out and convinced that your child will be irrevocably damaged if all plastic is not banished from your home.

I have mulled over as much information as I can on this subject, and I am not convinced that the science on this is fully formed or conclusive yet on either side of the controversy. With that said, I have become much more aware of the products that I purchase for my kids (particularly feeding related items).

There various product lines now available in the "safe plastic" category. Boon, is one of them. All of the Boon feeding line products are BPA and Phthalate free (with the exception of the Squirt which will soon be).

My 18-month-old son has been using the Boon Fluid sippy cup and the Boon Groovy plate set for the last three weeks, and here is what I think:

Boon Fluid:

• Great overall shape, which makes this sippy cup very easy for my son to hold
• BPA/Phthalate Free
• Angled spout prevents your child from having to tip their head back when drinking
• Easy to clean, especially the spout (less nooks and crannies to scrub out than traditional sippy cups)
• Dishwasher Safe
• It is a "spill-free" cup depending on your definition of "spill." Yes, it does not spill as much as a traditional cup would when tipped over, but it does leak. If you hold the Fluid upside down, a slow stream of drops will exit, much to my son's delight. For this reason, we have learned to only put water in the Fluid.
• The spout is somewhat difficult to remove (although it is very easy to snap back on). You have to pry it off- it does not screw on.
  

All in, this is my son's favorite sippy cup. It is also his favorite accessory (as a bracelet) and he loves the drippy water feature. I am somewhat mixed on the Fluid. It does leak more than the average sippy cup, so be aware of this if you decide to purchase. But, there are features about it that I do really like (shape, BPA-free, easy-clean spout). Kind of a love-hate relationship.

Okay- Now for the Boon Groovy:

I really do like this plate set. The Groovy is composed of 2 plates which are molded together (you cannot take them apart) and two smaller orange bowls that can be attatched to the larger plate. Here is the low-down on the Groovy:

• BPA/Phthalate-Free
• Dishwasher Safe
• Non-Microwaveable
• Great rubberized bottom that keeps the plate from sliding around
• Little compartments for all of your toddlers food- I love the smaller bowls for things I am trying to get my son to learn to navigate a spoon with on his own- like applesauce or yogurt, but am not ready for the mess that a full sized bowl would bring. These are also great for dipping sauces.
• Realize that the smaller bowls are only "resting" on the Groovy plate. They do not snap-on or attach firmly. This allows your toddler to freely pick them up and move them around (or tip them upside down). This seems to be the biggest complaint of parents in Amazon reviews. It doesn't really bother me.
• 10% of the profits from the sale of this, and all Boon products goes toward children's charities
  
• Overall, a good feeding product that I recommend.

The Boon Fluid and Groovy are both available at Babycenter.com and Amazon.com. Cheaper at Babycenter ($4.99 & $9.99 and free shipping with 50$ purchase), but available with free super-saver shipping at Amazon for $5.99 and $12.99.

Who wants to try the Boon Fluid and Groovy?!? One lucky reader will win. Enter by Midnight Sunday 4/13/08 by emailing me at citruscontest@gmail.com with BOON in the subject line. Any comment in the body of the email about the Groovy or Fluid will do.

-Theresa

Sippigrip

There is nothing in NYC that makes me cringe more than watching my 18-month-old son's sippy cup hit the cement. Ugghhh. The only thing worse than watching his cup hit the cement, is watching it fall onto the subway floor. Double Ugghhh. Not even a trip through the dishwasher really makes me feel like the cup is really clean after a drop in a subway car.

When I found the Sippigrip product, I was a little hesitant about it because my son is a mini Houdini. He is able to figure out every baby-proofing contraption known to man. I was sure that it would just be a few rides in the stroller before the sippy cup would meet the disgusting-ness of NYC again.

I have been very pleasantly surprised. We have been using the sippigrip for the last three weeks, and I love it! The beauty of this product is that it actually grips the sippy cup. The inside of the strap actually has a black rubberized surface that firmly holds onto the cup. This way your little one cannot slide the fabric down the sippy cup and set it free. The belt on the Sippigrip can be adjusted to pretty much any sized cup you own. The only cup we own that wasn't fully compatible with the Sippigrip was the Boon Fluid cup. It can still fit around the Fluid, but it wasn't a tight fit because I had to wrap it around the small handles, and my little critter managed to break it free. With every other sippy cup of ours, however, it worked like a dream. I have a Macleran Quest stroller and it attaches beautifully to the front bar, and when the sippy cup is not wanted I can place it in the back basket while it is still attached to the front bar.

The Sippigrip can attach to strollers, highchairs, and car seats. Both ends of this product attach with a strong Velcro. The length of the Sippigrip can be adjusted. You could also attach a toy or a snack container to this product.

The Sippigrip is currently available here in NYC at BuyBuyBaby. You can also get it on Amazon.com (and it qualifies for free supersaver shipping, yeah!) It currently comes in black, blue, red and pink. This June there will be several cute polka-dot and stripes patterns available. Prices range from $4.99 to $6.99 (cheapest price on Amazon).

Seriously, a wonderful product- I am such a fan. I can now jog with my Phil&Ted's stroller and not worry about doing a sippy-cup induced face plant when my son is done with his drink.

Who wants to try a Sippigrip? One lucky reader of Citrus will win one! Enter by emailing me at citruscontest@gmail.com before midnight on Sunday 4/6/08. Include SIPPIGRIP in the subject line of your email, and in the body of the email answer the following question, "what award did Sippigrip receive from Creative Child Magazine?" You can find the answer on the Sippigrip website.

A Dwink and Smile

Congratulations to Sherie D. for winning the Froose Give-Away! Thank you Froose!

You know from my last post that Froose is something we will be drinking in our house now. But, I cannot share a juice box recommendation without giving you information on the proper tool to make your juice box experience pleasant. Tell me if the following has ever happened in your home:

You pull the juice box out of the fridge, and insert the straw for your child. You turn around, and can see the anticipation building, and building in that little delighted face- as little arms reach out for the desired beverage. You decide to hand the "goods" over just as excitement reaches its peak level........ and.......realize that was a very bad idea. Those little fingers- so anxious to get around that box, just can't control themselves. Your child's ability to determine the correct pressure required to hold a juice box is no longer present. Suddenly there is juice everywhere- the table, the floor, and your child's shirt. Familiar? Anyone?

It is my belief that children to do not develop the ability to experience the sensation of excitement, while simultaneously correctly holding a juice box until they are 5. If you have a four-year-old that can drink an entire juice box without a single leak springing out, it is my opinion that they are gifted and should be tested for superpowers.

Serendipitously, the same time I ordered my first batch of "Froose" I came across a neat little juice box container called Dwink. Dwink is the brainchild of a mom (we have great ideas, don't we?) who wanted to make the portable drinking options for children a little easier, and cleaner. You can insert any boxed/bagged child's beverage into Dwink, and rest assured that they will not shower themselves in the process. Dwink holds kids drink containers of all sizes....soy milk, Capri-Sun, juice boxes (large and small) and fits them all snugly. Large juice/soy milk boxes and Capri-Sun type beverages fit best just placed in the box. For smaller juice boxes, like Froose, you just have to turn the box so it is perpendicular to the traditional insertion (the juice box would face the handles of the Dwink) and it won't budge. This is possible because the sides of the Dwink container are slightly flexible. If this does not make sense, you can view pictures on the website that illustrate how each type of beverage fits in the Dwink container. I love that the handles and base are made of rubberized material -great for finger gripping, and helping the juice box stay put on the highchair/table/counter.

We have 2 Dwink holders in our house, and it is the only way I would even think about giving my 18 month-old any beverage in a box.
Wonderful idea, dishwasher safe, cute variety of colors, and only $4.99 at Dwink or Babycenter.com. Dwink it up!

One last note on Froose: If you don't see it in your regular grocery store in the next while, ask for it. You would be surprised by how much they listen.

Froose

My kids are recovering juice addicts. This “unhealthy relationship” with juice started after I stopped nursing them as infants, and continued well into their childhood years. My two daughters could together consume an entire 64 oz bottle of apple juice in one day – which became a very expensive habit to support. As we prepared to move out here to NYC, I imagined myself trying to carry all of these jugs of beloved apple juice back to my apartment from the local grocery store, and that thought put an end to it all- cold turkey.

Of course, this new family rule was not met without protest. My favorite memory from “juice-rehab” was my (then) 5-year-old saying in her voice of dramatic desperation, “Mom, I am L-O-N-G-I-N-G for apple juice.” Her requests for her beverage of choice were definitely entertaining, but not effective- I stood firm in my "no-juice" resolve.....for about 9 months.

When I came across Froose, it made me rethink my "beverage" ban. I discovered Froose on the internet, and it is marketed as a new juice concept for kids. Froose contains juice (of course) but it also contains organic brown rice, which helps to boost nutritional content and provides the product with 3 grams of fiber per 4 oz box. There are no preservatives and no artificial colors in Froose. This made the part of me that spent four years in college studying Nutrition very intrigued.

I was excited about this product- so I purchased it for my kids knowing that there was a high chance that that it would be rejected, due to their keen ability to detect (and reject) all things nutritious- especially whole grains.

Froose can currently only be purchased online at Froose.com. They are currently in the works with several major grocery store chains (including Whole Foods) to bring this product to a supermarket near you. I will say that the current price (.75 cents a box) is a little steep, but when you consider that less-than-half-eaten apple out on the countertop left by "you-know-who" was the same price, it seems more reasonable.

The true test came when my children tried Froose for the first time. There was silence in the room for about 2 minutes while they focused solely on drinking and breathing :). The silence was only broken by the gurgle of their straws sucking air out of the bottom of their empty juice boxes. The "drought" was over, and they were ecstatic to have juice in the house again. They now lovingly call it “Moose Juice” in honor of the moose on the package.

We are definitely never going back to the “good old days” of juice drinking, but I will say I will be keeping Froose around the house for a possible “once-a-day” treat, and for those times in life that really warrant a portable beverage (picnics, road-trips, field trips, etc.)

Okay, so who wants to try some Froose?? The folks at Froose have offered to give away a variety case (that means 40 juice boxes) to a lucky reader of my blog. Email me at citruscontest@gmail.com and put FROOSE in the Subject line. In the body of the email answer this question: Froose is currently available in what three flavors? At the end of the contest, I will randomly select a winner from those who answered correctly. Contest will end on Thursday (3/6/08) at midnight so get typing!

Chopstick Trainer

These chopstick trainers by Combi are a favorite at our house. Asian Cuisine is regularly on the menu for us, and when it is- my daughters want to be "just like" mom and dad. Unfortunately, in the past this meant that they would request full-sized chopsticks and try their best.....which usually ended up with only one chopstick being used "shish-kabob" style and no food really being eaten. The girls got these chopstick trainers for Christmas and they are very easy to use. My 4 and 6 year old daughters mastered them the first night we tried them out. They are easy to clean (dishwasher safe) and the soft plastic on the "trainer" part forms to the hand well. You can find these on Amazon for 12$ for a 2pk, or at babycenter.com for a little under 7$ each. Happy Rice Eating!

Silly Billyz

With 3 children under the age of of 6 we have gone through a lot of bibs in our time as parents. Most of these bibs I have been disappointed with- each of them having their own tragic flaw. Some were too stiff and "plasticky"- to the point that my kids would cry each time I put them on. Some were too small- doing a great job of managing the small area they covered, but somehow my kids sleeves managed to still get in the ketchup no matter how high I rolled them.
I thought I had found the perfect bib when I finally found bibs with long sleeves. These bibs were a vast improvement- especially when it came to art projects and really messy foods. I found "long-sleeve" bib perfection, however, about six months ago when I ordered Silly Billyz. These bibs are the best of everything rolled into one. The material in the arms is water-resistant and not stiff. It is kind of like a parachute material- very flexible. The material in the chest is what makes this product qualify for the "citrus list." This is where it beats out all the other "long sleeved" competition. The material is fleece-like and water absorbent which is absolutely perfect for my son who is just learning how to manage a cup. Accidents happen and when they do- they get absorbed by the front of the bib, rather than running down the front and into the lap like other "long-sleeved" peers. The bib is easy to take on and off, and to clean you just throw it in the laundry. One tip on laundering- make sure you secure the velcro together before you throw it in, because if you don't, odds are you will take it out of the dryer and it will be stuck to your favorite sweater. When you pull it off it isn't pretty- yes this happened to us. The velcro is very strong which makes it great for keeping the bib intact when your child is wearing it, but not so great for keeping your sweaters pill-free in the laundry :). You can order these at www.babycenter.com for 11$ each and they come in pink, red, blue and purple.