The Latest in Structured Baby Carriers

Who's seen em? Who has em?! 

This I'm interested in. The new Moby Go:

I've posted before about how much I loved my moby for both my babies. I went straight to the ergo once my kiddos got to heavy for the wrap so this has me intrigued. Is it comparable to the ergo? Is the slightly more structured version of the soft, cozy moby original? I need to know.

This Britax Baby Carrier I'm feeling rather disappointed in:

So really? WTF? What is this? Awesomest ever carseats (ok, I've heard dionos are second to none but still) and they come up with this? Someone please explain. You know when you're about to change a diaper and there are no smells so it's just like "oh just a quick wet dipe change" and upon too-quickly opening said diaper you are bombarded with the putrid fragrance only found in some terrible underworld? Yeah. That's about the same feeling I'm having here. I see it can be used to wear inward-facing (towards the chest) with an extra insert. Seems lame. How is this better than the typical bjorn?

I've also heard a tidbit about the líllébaby: 

Opinions, anyone?

A couple things I've wanted to share . . .

I've been meaning to share these! I know everyone likes good deals, discounts, coupons, and all that jazz. I'm not a super-coupon-clipper or anything but I like a good deal as much as the next person. If you don't mind some extra mail in your inbox these are three pretty nice options that you should look into:


Barnes and Noble Kid's Club

This is actually pretty cool. You sign up quickly and get cafe cupcake on birthdays plus lots of discounts on actual merchandise. There are regular coupons but there's also a reward system. For every $100 spent you can get $5 toward books. It's nothing flashy or awe-inspiring but if you love B&N or happen to shop their regularly anyway no discount is too small to count. Just the free cupcake for the littles is worth it. They send you a handy dandy little card to keep in your wallet too.

Shutterfly

This company is awesome for printing your average snapshots from daily life and family events. I think last year I ordered over 400 4x6 prints for nothing more than shipping. Usually this was in the form of 100 free print deals with a code you enter at checkout. There's a billion products you could make and you typically can find a code for free shipping but that discount on those prints are a huge draw for me personally because I take soooo many pictures that are great for the baby books and scrapbooking but not necessarily what I'll be hanging on my walls. If  you don't take tons of pictures that often there's always the option to get doubles or triples when those deals come up so you have spares to give to other people. I like it!

Swagbucks

This is no joke or scam. Last year, I got a total of $60 in amazon e-gift cards and $20 in cabela's gift cards. All you do is sign up and download the tracker onto your browser. You simply use it as your search tool and occasionally you get dropped 1-20 (or more) "swagbucks". You'll put in an anti-robot code or just click accept and your points (aka swagbucks) pile up in your account. At any time you go into the rewards store and trade the bucks out for stuff. Searching isn't the only way to earn the "points" either.

Go to the Library

FYI, if you're ever looking for something free and fun for your littles check out the local libraries!! I always forget how much there is for kids to do.

Rogers Public Library and Springdale Public Library have lots of reading and craft events for all ages (babies and toddlers up to teens).  They also have storytimes for families in English AND in Spanish.

Bentonville Library has come a long way since opening not quite 2 years ago. They host several clubs like Kid's Chess in addition to storytimes and group lessons or workshops.

The Fayetteville Library makes these others feel teeny tiny. They have almost every service imaginable (for a library). They even have a game center (think xbox) which I personally think is absurd but whatever. There are LOTS of resources available here for studying, learning, researching, or socializing.

We just got back from the library in Rogers last night. I have to recommend these cute books:

All of the books about Olivia (a very prissy, sometimes mischievous little pig) are adorable. My almost older toddler absolutely adores this character. That may be because she is the real life Olivia. ha!

This is one of those sweet, simple books with a key message: people (ooor . . . animals) that are different can be the best people. Differences are good, not bad! I've rented this one so many times I don't know why I haven't just bought it yet (maybe because we all ready have over 300 kid's books, maybe)

This is a very colorful book. I had to read it slowly so my littles could soak in all the beautiful imagery. The story seems silly at first but in the end it follows these seven sisters through an adventure where each one uses their particular talent or strength to make it through a bad situation. These are exactly the kinds of books I look for to read to my girls. It shows how every single person (sisters, as the case may be) is unique and important. They get a sweet seed planted in their minds  and a tiny taste of another world all at the same time.  Definitely look for this one! 

iKids: Whether or not the littles should be knee-deep in technology

Some people really despise technology in the hands of littles. Hi, I'm one of them. Well, I was . . . before. I'm all about mud pies, wooden blocks, playing in the rain, kick ball, pretending -- the good stuff.

I just can't discount the value of technology. In a progressive sense, my children and all the little humans of their generation are going to be so deep into tech-everything that they may invent a mud pie simulator. I can see it now: "that earthy, fresh mud smell, a spray of immune-strengthening serum, but no mess! includes a free eraser app for you iSuperPhone to clean up the virtual mess".

Really though, don't knock it til you try it. (What a stupid saying, though. Here don't knock drugs before you try 'em. Taste some arsenic. Speed 20 miles over the limit without a seat belt on. Eat triple the amount of recommended trans fat. THEN you can have an opinion). OK, well, at least just go the "not for me" route rather than the "wrongly wrong wrongness" route.

Kids are flexible sponges the size of your average planet waiting to soak up every tid bit of information. Whether they are smashing their hands into earthworm infested brown mud while they attempt to make pies on a concrete-step pretend kitchen or staring bug eyed as they seamlessly manipulate some learning app while they learn ABCs: it's GOOD for them.

It's all about balance.

I want to put in a quick note here too: Think more along the lines of uber upgrades from 90's PC games like Reader Rabbit, Mavis Bacon, Sim City, and Oregon Trail (heck, these need to be made into apps in my very humble opinion), less the touch-screen version of xbox lego star wars or nintendo wii super mario or NFLumpteenthousand for whatever-have-you.

To back up my egregious claims here is a list of my favorite apps for the kiddos:

• Intro To Geography by Montessorium, LLC. 

This one in particular deviates from the jillions of ABC/123 games and gets into an area that tend to be neglected with younger kids: geography. It starts out in a puzzle-style game that gradually includes more countries. Even I learned from playing on this app.

• Elmo Loves ABCs by Sesame Street

Who doesn't love the fuzzy red muppet? Don't lie. Tons of mini-activities keep this app interesting. It is colorful and interactive. Bonus: you can track your child's activity within the app to see what they might be learning. However, if you find Elmo's voice obnoxious you may find yourself temporarily deleting it on occasion.

• Team Umizoomi Math: Zoom Into Numbers HD by Nickelodeon

Math. I hate math but this app will make anyone enjoy it. There is a gradual increase in difficulty as tasks are mastered through the game. It starts with a very simple game to identify numbers and try basic counting. Later on it gets into simple addition. Some people complain that it needs more games to keep it interesting but my kids haven't ever seemed bored of it. 

• PLAY123 by CJ Educations

This app is very cute and very touch-based. Kids draw shapes, manipulate colors, and touch numbers. It's all about these basics. This is probably better for the youngest tech geeks. My 1.5 year old and 3 year old both love it but my 3 year old has it completely figured out and isn't nearly as enamored as my younger girl.

NOVEMBER!

Let's do this powerpoint style.
-My baby turned ONE! Bittersweet.
-My Marine is home!!
-My amazing man is now doubly employed. He has two jobs, two more interviews, and he's working on re-enrolling in school. The old managing job back + an office job.
-Halloween was fun! We had a minnie mouse and a pink dinosaur this year. ;)
-I'm still managing to pass my classes!! Miracles.
-Unfortunately I will not be finishing my associates in spring.
-Fortunately, I will only need to take two classes in the summer semester to finish.
-We have a million prospects on the horizon and we have no idea what the next few years will look like but we're looking forward to it.
-Scrapbooking is amazing therapy. It's not the cute pictures or the fun paper . . . it's the gluing, the cutting, the ripping paper, and . . . perhaps the peeling of dry glue off the fingers.
-We got ourselves an xbox and beat Halo 3. Because, we're awesome. Like it.
- I have incredibly strong urges to decorate for Christmas BUT I'm holding myself together for another 2.5 weeks before going nuts.


We have a lot to be thankful for this November. Hopefully I can remember that no matter what happens down the road.

"If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy."

P.S.

GO VOTE TOMORROW!!!!!
Now you can't say you forgot.