Mothers on the Move, Mo+m

I love showcasing baby carriers here on my blog since they are such a huge part of our life. It's even more amazing when I can share one that is both a great priced gateway baby carrier and perfect for seasoned baby wearers who just want one more! I saw the Mo+m carrier and was afraid it was too good to be true so I contacted Mothers on the Move and asked about reviewing it for my readers. I have to say I'm really really impressed!!

As with any hobby, once you get "hooked" you realize the wide variety of prices out there.  Baby carriers are no different. Some are handwoven or machine sewn and not mass produced leading to such differences. It's hard to sell someone, who has never worn their baby but is interested in trying it out, on a $200 baby carrier. That's where Mothers on the Move comes in. Available on Amazon, with Prime shipping even for just $39.95 right now this carrier is definitely in the right price range to be recommended a lot.

I have posted before on my blog about the problems with buying a baby carrier from Amazon. Many times Amazon allows third party vendors to sell items and there is no oversight as to whether the are compliant with US laws. Baby carriers are actually a huge market for knock offs which haven't been tested or rated safe. I feel really passionate about only ever recommending CPSIA, BCIA compliant carriers and Mo+m is both! This carrier is ASTM F2236 - 14 & CPSIA Sec.101 certified and the products have been checked for Cal Prop 65 elements

In addition, when purchased form valid retailers (Amazon is one) there is a lifetime warranty on the carrier. I am sitting here today with a handmade and very expensive baby carrier that started to wear (there's an actual hole!) after very minimal use. I contacted the manufacturer and the response I got today was that it was just cosmetic not structural as only the outer decorative fabric has the wear hole so carrier could be used still. No mention of the fact that poor design led to this issue and now my expensive carrier I planned to still have value for resale once I was finished with it is worthless. Very disappointing and something that wouldn't happen if it also had a warranty.

Now for the fun features of the carrier. I have the Mo+m® Classic Cotton 3 Position Baby Carrier which has a mesh cooling vent, removable hood, and pocket in Navy.  

Here you can see the pocket open. It's large enough when expanded to hold my wallet and cell phone plus a disposable diaper. Game changer!!

Hood has been unsnapped here and is in it's front stash pocket. The large zippered pocket is behind that. 

The mesh cooling vent is open. It doesn't come completely off the carrier so no worries about loosing it but it opens to vent and add circulation to baby's back. 

Here carrier is snapped as it might be when wrong. You can see the chest clip is sturdy and glides along the webbing which keeps it in place. 

inside view of carrier showing mesh area. It's laying on my Lenny Lamb baby size carrier for comparison. It can produce a nice ergonomic seat! 

It's definitely similar in seat size to an ERGObaby carrier and lets you get a proper M-position seating  through infancy up to toddlerhood. It's comfy and great for the wearer too. The hood is perfect in that it's removable which leads to all sorts of fun customizable options too!! I know my Tula hoods are pimped and accessorized and this one is the next I plan to make our own.

Here is Oliver's seat. The base is 12" wide and O gets great support. 

At 14mo Oliver is able to go arms out if he wants or tuck them in for snuggles. 

The Mo+m is rated for babies between 12 lbs and 36 lbs.

If you're nearby and would like to see it in person just send me a message! I love sharing the baby wearing love!

I received this carrier in order to complete my review. No compensation was taken and all opinions are my own. Have a question? Ask away!!

Babyfood storage

So Oliver is finally eating solids. While we've tried our hand at baby led weaning it's not for O. He much prefers purees. That means I'm making a lot of homemade babyfood. Squash is his absolute favorite and it's the perfect season for it too! I've used lots of freezer molds over the years but most have been too small (require me to use 3-4 cubes each time) or too hard to get frozen food out of (plastic over silicone. I recently tried the VenBaby Silicone Baby Food Freezer Tray and it's been great. It has seven individual compartments, is made of silicone, and comes with a tight fitting lid. Each portion is 2.5oz and easily pops out once frozen. The silicone is food safe, microwave, oven, freezer and dishwasher safe too. 

Other fun uses could includes making smaller popsicles, storing herbs for winter use, and much more.  So now that I've write this post I need to head into the kitchen and turn the last two squash I purchased into food for O! Steam, puree, and freeze time. 

I received this product in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own!

More fun with SaddleBaby

For the last few weeks, I've taken our SaddleBaby Original and SaddleBaby pack on many adventures. Today's fun photo shoot was one of the best. I joked when we got the SaddleBaby that I could now triple carry. Nolan is always talking about how to make a triple stroller and asking why I can't push or carry all of the kids so we all got a kick out of trying. It was pretty successful and remarkably not too uncomfortable or impossible!!

Ollie went on front in the BityBean, Nolan in our Kinderpack, and Carter up top in the SaddleBaby Original. All kids are within the weight/size limit for the carrier they are in and all carriers were properly fastened and secured. Hubby was a few feet away should any issues arise and everything was done safely and with the kids in mind. They all thought it was hysterical including the baby!

Back to the SaddleBaby original now though. The original sits right across the chest so it can be an issue for women to get a great fit. It feels almost like a life jacket would but with the adjustment of the belt it's possible to accommodate quite a few sizes.

It's so light weight and doesn't add a lot of bulk or weight which makes it great for summer wearing in the heat. Carter loved being up high and felt secure. He finally found the natural handle, the saddle itself, which helps him with his own balance. Hubby thought it was fun too, which is why so many of the pictures turned out a bit goofy as they ran and played together.

Besides the entire carriers, SaddleBaby offers replacement saddles should the need ever arise. You can purchase the pack or original on their website here. As with any carrier read all instructions thoroughly first. SaddleBaby offer a YouTube video with usage instructions that's viewable here.

I received this carrier in order to review and share it with friends! If you'd like to check it out in person just message me! No compensation was taken and all opinions are my own. You can see my review of the SaddleBaby pack here.

SaddleBaby Pack Review

Sometime last year a picture of a baby carrier that held your toddler on your shoulders came across my Facebook Newsfeed. I remember seeing it get pinned and reposted on the baby wearing boards but I never came across it in person and wasn't certain it existed past a random internet picture. 

Guess what?? It truly does exist and it's a lot of fun. The SaddleBaby is an innovative shoulder carrying design that allows the wearer to place the 2-5yr old on their shoulders safely and securely. It's not a gimmick or Chinese knock off carrier but a well thought out and soundly made safe baby wearing device.

When it arrived at my door, I was thoroughly surprised with the professional packaging and information that accompanies the SaddleBaby. I received both the SaddleBaby Original and SaddleBaby Pack to review and share.

The SaddleBaby Original is often preferred by men due to the placement of the main carrier belting, directly across the chest. I have worn it myself and it's doable but not as perfect for women as the Pack is! I'll be posting a separate post and review of the Original with fun pics highlighting my husband wearing our children.

The SaddleBaby Pack consists of a fully functional streamlines backpack with waist fasteners, Attached to that is the ergonomic saddle and removable/adjustable ankle/leg cuffs that secure your little one. The cuffs are suggested to be placed directly above the ankle of the child. Their leg length determines where the chest clip strap will be placed on the adults body.

The saddle itself is a sot but dense foam-like material. It has a grip covering on the inside to help your little one stay seated. All materials used in manufacturing have been tested and approved by the US CPSIA. I love that you can load up your SaddleBaby Pack for the day and have a toddler carrier attached and waiting too!

SaddleBaby cares abut safety and has a very thorough and descriptive manual that accompanies your carrier. It's required to read the manual and understand how to properly use the carrier before trying it out! Their website also has instructional videos!! You can see how to use the Pack here and the Original here. 

We took our SaddleBaby Pack to the zoo then later took fun pictures at home to help with this post. As you can see, if you leave the pack empty the backpack tends to ride up in the back. It's not uncomfortable even when it does and is not an issue once the backpack contains items. Carter is a fan of asking to be worn then asking to walk a few minutes later. With SaddleBaby, I could say “yes” when he asked to go up and then back down again in repetition without having to unpack and configure a carrier then store it away again once he was done. Instead I simply lifted him onto my shoulders, strapped his legs in and off we went until his next request!

Here is a wearing tip, After placing your child on the saddle take a look in a mirror or have a friend let you know how their bum is sitting. On initial wearing Carter tended to lean forward more than needed and would often not be fully utilizing the saddle as shown in this picture. That's an easy fix we mastered on subsequent uses. Just adjust the saddle so it's held closer to your neck with the webbing and buckle component that go along the backpack straps. 

Once we figured out he tended to shift in the saddle we corrected his seat before wearing!

There are only two small changes to the design of the SaddleBaby Pack I would love to see. I wish the Saddle Baby had a handle for the kiddos to hold. Just like when they are on my shoulders they love to hold my face or hair!! I also would love to see the ankle cuffs and the check strap not be connected. That way I could adjust the chest strap for comfort and the ankle cuffs as needed for my child's individual height. 

If you're looking for a carrier you toddler will find fun and cool and you'll be able to safely wear definitely check out the SaddleBaby products. You can purchase your SaddleBaby with 1yr warranty direct from the company here. 

No baby wearing session is complete without the obligatory bathroom selfie!!

We shared the baby wearing love with friends and neighbors. If you'd like to try it to (and we know each other in real life!!) just let me know!

Ms. R made herself the perfect handle and is a much better rider than my guys who like to hold my hair!!

I received the aforementioned product in order to facilitate my review. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own!

EyeSnug Review

When I was a teenager I had noticed my eyes were starting to get dry and irritated often times in the early morning after waking. After a visit to my ophthalmologist, I had a prescription eye ointment and instructions to use it every night. Fast forward many years later and I definitely slack and do not use the medication. It's thick, gooey, and messes with my vision. To compensate though I never sleep with the ceiling fan on. Hubby loves the ceiling fan but understands I can't tolerate it.

In comes the EyeSnug. It's a soft eye mask for sleeping that fits snug to your face and has two soft pockets for your eyes. There is no pressure or irritation but it's thick and soft enough to provide a good fit. It stops excessive air exchange and I was thrilled to try a test with the ceiling fan. It passed!! I'm excited to say if you have issues with dry eyes while sleeping give this a try.

In addition to working for my specific issue the mask is a very soft and silky fabric. It's lightweight and did not cause irritation, tightness, or a headache like other things I've worn during sleep have. They also worked well to block out all light. The EyeSnug is readily available on Amazon and even come with some simple earplugs and a carry case. I also love that it's eligible for Amazon Prime shipping. if your'e in the market for a sleep eye mask this is a great one!

I received this product in order to complete an honest review. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received. 

Safety Baby's Magnetic Cupboard Locks Review

I recently got the chance to try out Safety Baby's magnetic cupboard locks in exchange for an honest review. I've used such a product in the past but it required drilling into our nice cabinets which also meant adding another task to hubby's to do list. With these awesome locks I was able to install them with no tools!

#safetybaby uses 3M products to adhere the locks to the cabinets. The magnet tool included makes opening them a breeze as long as you're an adult with the tool. My little ones tried and gave up! Exactly what I wanted!! Our chemicals are safely stored and these were quickly installed. You can purchase through Amazon and even use Prime which we all know I love! The four pack is listed as ~$23 on Amazon right now whig is less than the drill version we previously purchased. 

Bitybean Baby Carrier Review

I was lucky enough to receive a Bitybean carrier to review and share with the local babywearing community. It's a soft structured carrier designed for little ones between 8# (and 3 months old) and 40#. Besides being affordable (MSRP $59.95) it's portable and compact too. The carrier that comes with a small carrying bag that it rolls up into. It can literally be stuffed in your diaper bag so it's always available. Ask me how awesome that can be!

We went to the Ohio State Fair last week and I was rushing to get inside. I never forget a baby carrier but after we walked the whole giant parking lot and were inside I realized I hadn't grabbed a carrier. Lo and behold a few minutes later I remembered that inside the diaper bag in the stroller was the Bitybean. Score 1 for it's awesome packability!!

The Bitybean has a separately available detachable hood for those times when your kiddo falls asleep while being carried. While hand washing and spot cleaning are recommended it can be machine cleaned in cold when required. Bitybean can also be used near an in shallow water. That makes it amazing for summer use at the beach or splash pad. I'm sure you're realizing it must be quite lightweight if it can be packed so compact. The carrier is made of nylon and polyester fabric. The straps are not padded but are wide and soft so they almost have a wrap like feel. It doesn't get diggy on me during normal use periods. Most important Bitybean is compliant with current US regulations and a member of the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance. These are important to me and something I check before reviewing and recommending any baby wearing item!!

It's stylish and available in fun vibrant colors too!

So now that we have the technical details out of the way let's talk about fit and function. I have mainly used the Bitybean with Oliver in the Summer of 2015. He's 5-7mo old and like all the boys in the house a sweaty hot mess in the summer. After being overwhelmed by the sounds and sights of the Fair last week, in the arm holding was just not cutting it. I quickly popped on the Bitybean and up he went. A few moments later, he was content and calm snuggled next to mom. It was asphalt everywhere and quite warm so I wasn't super thrilled about constant babywearing that day but with the lightness and airflow the Bitybean offers, it was bearable.

Getting a proper M-seat with knee to knee coverage has been great in the Bitybean. Oliver is stil young so at this time we worry about hyperextending his seat and the carrier base being too wide. The Bitybean is soft enough to fold in and get him in proper position. On Carter (3years) in the same carrier that piece that tends to fold in automatically extends and support his leg much wider. For smaller babies under 15 pounds there is an inside seat with small buckle fasteners that ensure they cannot fall to the sides.

You can see the excess seat area support that simply naturally folds in for smaller children. 

I also love the softness of the neck/headrest area. It's an almost neoprene like fabric that provides support but has a little give.

If you're in the area and would like to see the Bitybean in person, just let me know! I'll have it out and about at any baby wearing events I attend and then again for personal use in between!!

SavvyBaby Stroller organizer

I recently was given a stroller organizer in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own yada yada!!

I have a lot of strollers and so many are lacking in the cup holder and parent console area. This is where stroller organizers come in handy! The SavvyBaby stroller organizer velcros on with adjustable straps. It's secure, made of neoprene so easy to clean, and has an awesome detachable front pocket. That's where I put my cell phone and I can easily unzip and take it with whenever I leave my stroller parked. You can check out my video review here.

New Pants and PicGIF

I've been eying the cool new cloth diaper pants that have been making their way around the web. Maxaloones (named after the pattern maker) or Pantaloones they are being called  I love the looks everyone has been doing and wanted to get in on the action myself. For my first pair I chose fabrics I had around the house already. Fleece is perfect for nighttime cloth diapering because if a leak happens to occur, the fleece itself absorbs the wetness and your baby continues sleeping! Carter seems to love them and Nolan has asked me to make him some that are blue and yellow. Friday we're hitting JoAnn's again.

Aren't they cute?? Now you're probably wondering how I got my photos to do that cool little switcheroo. It was simple! I received a copy of PicGIF for the Mac by Pearl Mountain from the App store to review. I wasn't sure the best way to use it and figured since I wanted to show off my pants I'd start there. It's so simple. The application requires no deep knowledge and is intuitive. You can upload videos or pictures and set them to motion. Adding text is easy too! I played around with it without reading instructions as that's what most of us tend to usually do. It wasn't a problem at all and I quickly figured out how to make the fun little picture set.

PicGIF supports many image formats including .jpeg, .tiff, and .bmp and most video formats too. It lets you customize size, the frame delay, sequence of pictures and movies, add text, and more.

You can check out more info about PicGIF for Mac here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picgif/id784260229?ls=1&mt=12

They also have a trailer video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z89p_D8Wpc

Now you'll all get to see my fun new GIF's as I use PicGIF and have fun!!



I received the item reviewed in this post in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own. 

Buttons brand cloth diaper review

 

I recently received a Buttons brand one-size all-in-two cloth diaper to test out. I had not heard of this brand before receiving it to try but was excited to give an all-in-two a shot.

These diapers consist of a wipe-able PUL shell with a snap-in insert. The shell of the diaper can be reused numerous times in a row without washing by simply removing the soiled snapped in insert and replacing it. This allows the user to purchase less of the more expensive part (cover) and still haev a complete stash. The insert itself is microfiber with a soft fleece lining. For nighttime or heavy wetters they have a snap in doubler option as well. I received the diaper in bright green Apple, insert in large, and a nighttime doubler.

My first impressions were very positive. The PUL shell is very thick, two layer in fact, and feels as if it will stand up to long term wear and use. The nighttime doubler is extra thick. It was surprisingly thick and equal to two or three of other inserts we have!! My only wish for it is that it also has a fleece liner so when not needed it could double as a regular insert. With just the microfiber on top it can't be used stand alone and always has to go under the regular insert since microfiber against a baby's delicate skin is not good.

I prepped the diaper according to instructions and gave it a go. Our first use was a simple daytime outing but as most do it went a little hectic. In the end, Carter was in this diaper longer than I would have liked (almost three hours) and after having finished off his sippy cup. NO LEAKS! For my tiny baby the leg gussets were perfect! He decided to christen the diaper the first time out and I can say that the microfleece seemed to repel the poo and it easily fell into the toilet. I didn't have to scrape as can sometimes happen.

Our second time out with the diaper, I decided to be brave and use it in place of our regular nighttime routine. Now for those of you who cloth diaper you know what a worry this is. After you finally find the perfect nighttime combination messing it up at all can lead to a wet, cranky, awake baby in the middle of the night. I put away our heavy wetter diapers and pulled out the Buttons AI2! Carter slept his usual 12 hours and woke up with no leaks! It's definitely bulky with both inserts snapped in but all nighttime diapers are.

We've also tried using the nighttime doubler inside of another brand's pocket to see how flexible the system is. I am a lazy cloth diaperer and hate sorting through a huge clothes basket for the exact right insert. If I were to add more Buttons to my stash, I'd definitely want to be sure that in a pinch the inserts would work out okay in other diapers. They definitely do and this way the nighttime double can be used without also using a regular insert!!

All in all I was pleasantly surprised. In the past I've not been a huge fan of snap in inserts or AIO or AI2 systems. This one was comfy on baby (my biggest complaint against GroVia system), easy to assemble and disassemble should the diaper be pooped in, and heavy duty enough to last through many many washes!! You can get a Buttons cover/shell for just $11.50/ea on Amazon and inserts are around $4 a piece. (I just saw that Buttons website (link above) has a sale on the covers for $9.35. I'm not sure if it's Cyber Monday deal or not but worth checking out!!) That's pretty impressive considering you'd only need a few covers total to last an entire day.

The diaper is currently in the wash and ready to go back on Carter. I swear this time I'll remember to actually grab a picture of it on him and I'll come back and update this post!! I always remember after I've changed him out of it already.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.