A Product Review

I have an obsession with cups. Unfortunately, Roe and I have broken much of our cups so we've started drinking out of empty jam jars (courtesy of Bonne Maman).

Isabella has more than enough cups that we can keep a track of too, in my quest of finding the best straw cup. We love love our Combi but it has so many parts to clean. It's great for on-the-go but I wanted something more simple for home. I love the take-home kiddie cups at restaurants so I decided to try the Take n' Toss straw cups.

Verdict: They're great for home use!! The lid securely keeps the straw in place and doesn't allow leakage from around the straw (though, if you tip it over completely water will come out of the straw). Isabella "accidentally" knocked it off the table and it fell on its side but no leakage! The straw is much harder than regular straws but it seems to work for us. And since there's no vent like most kiddie cups, it works just like adult cup/straw combos.


In conjunction, we tried out our new spoons (okay, obsessed about spoons too). Since we have a lot of rice and soup in our diet, it's hard to find a kiddie spoon that can hold a good amount of the soup part. Gerber's Scoopin Spoons are perfect for that! They have flexible ends so you can scrape the bottom of the bowl to get every last bit. Plus, the spoon itself has a big scooper... almost like a mini mini ice cream scooper.

Verdict: Success!

New Discoveries

You can already tell Isabella is making new discoveries daily. It's like you can see the gears in her brain working! Her eyes follow everything you do with strong intent to mimic you.

The last week or so, I made some new discoveries of my own! I had a brief but significant love affair with Bonne Maman's Strawberry Preserves. You just need a dab for your toast and cream cheese (my favorite breakfast food at home).

I was waiting for them to go on sale again at my local lux grocery (they used to do buy one, get one free last summer). Well, I made a trip out to Trader Joe's so that Isabella could "shop" too and decided to try one of their preserves instead.
WOW! Their Organic, Reduced Sugar, Strawberry Preserves are the best thing I've ever tasted! It has less than half the sugar (and half the calories!) of my beloved Bonne and while I do miss the whole strawberries, I love that I can layer on the preserves without it being too sweet. I used to barely use a dabble on my toast, but now I can use pretty liberally.

[sorry for the photo reflection (is that a term?? how it's backwards, like you're looking in a mirror instead of a picture). i don't have my camera nearby so i used photobooth on my mac]

Modern Day Devices

I'm all about modern conveniences (mostly in moderation) but love any new idea that kills 2 birds with 1 stone--not literally, let's save the bootiful birds.

My latest and greatest invention, yes MY invention... well, more like my innovation. At our recent TroyHope retreat, we wanted Isabella to have her naps and be able to sleep early but also the freedom to participate in all of the retreat's activities. Can't have your cake and eat it too, right? WRONG!

If you have a bluetooth and at least 2 phones (preferably on the same network or family plan so that your minutes are free), you can make your own baby monitor! We left one phone on (with speakerphone) in the room while bebe slept while the other phone was on mute with the bluetooth feature in use. Since we were always in the same building, I was less than a quick sprint away.

I have to admit, I've been tempted to use this method at home for a quick grocery/market run... but I haven't been able to feel THAT safe. Luckily, I actually live a quick sprint away from the grocery store. But still... I'm a firm believer in crazy psychos... what if one sees me leave and comes into my house?!

Reusable Sandwich Bags.. and they're CUTE!

If you haven't heard of etsy.com yet, go there now! It's kind of like a bunch of ebay stores full of handmade and vintage goods. There are tons of children's products made by other moms too.

Lately, Isabella asks for "kka kka" (crackers or snack in Korean baby lingo) or she'll see a lone cheerio and say "kka kka" as she reaches for it. We have the Snack Trap which looks cool and seems like a good idea (maybe better for when she's older?) because it has a flexible cutout top to grab your goodies. It's supposed to prevent from spilling them all but Isabella isn't very good at it still. She lifts open a flap and lets them all spill out.

So I resorted to using a sandwich bag for them and she seems to grasp this idea better (she's really into putting things into containers and bags right now). But today, I saw her bite the bag and eat some pieces! She also ate the top of a blue crayon this morning.

Good thing I just ordered these very cute bags. She won't be able to see what's inside since it's not transparent like a real sandwich bag but I'm sure she won't be able to eat it!


Green Street Bag's have really cute patterns and offer 2 different sizes for bags. The snack bag has a gusseted bottom. I ordered this print, as well as chocolate pear and yard retreat! She's super fast.. already shipped my order in less than 24 hrs! I can't wait to see them.

Ooohhhhhhh, an epiphany

So I just got my bag in the mail... woohoo!

And now I know why there was such a price difference.... not a HUGE difference in bag, but a difference nonetheless.

(Top) exhibit A: Mia Bossi bag from miabossi.com

(Bottom) exhibit B: Mia Boss bag from gap.com [the one I have in my possession]

So, if you notice, the dot print is different. The Gap version's dots are colored in while the Original's (from its own website, now referred to in my post as "original") dots are not! Oh, you so sneaky!! I didn't even notice, even as I "carefully" looked.

Also, you couldn't tell from the Gap site because of the picture, but its strap is not adjustable while the Original appears to be. Or, at least, that strap has some metal hardware on it and the Gap's doesn't. Not being able to adjust is not a big deal I guess because the strap is perfect for a cross body carry. But with the hardware (according to the Original's website), can allow you to loop it twice--hence, shortening the strap in half--and wear as a shoulder bag. That option might be cool though.

So, what do you think... what should I do?? I need some opinions please.

Dora!

Isabella doesn't really know Dora through television yet. But Dora enamors us during each mealtime away from home. These disposable placemats are perfect for babies/toddlers whose mothers are germ-a-phobes in hiding.

No more wiping down the table with a baby wipe only to be disgusted at the caked on residue! These placemats stick to the table (and they are recyclable--some are biodegradable!) and you just peel them off when you're done!

Product Rave - Combi Mug

The Combi Mug has been really awesome to us. The handles are ergonomically formed for your little one and the straw is small and flexible. Isabella was nursed for a really long time and for whatever reason, she couldn't get the hang of other sippy or straw cups (especially the ones with valves--and if you try them yourself, they're kind of hard to drink from too!). It's around $13 (but you can buy it at BuyBuyBaby and use their 20% off coupon) and totally worth it. We have 2 and we carry one around everywhere we go!

[Combi, feel free to pay me for free advertising any time]