Burpcatcher Round-Up: More Than Just Your Average Burp Cloth

Let’s face it. Who really buys burpcloths? A few people gave me a package of crappy cloth diapers and I thought I was set. And for the most part, they did the trick. But then again, I was a new mom, and I didn’t know any better. There were no burp cloth testers or better, reviews that might have saved me some headaches and a few of my favorite shirts. I registered for the big stuff, like the stroller and the baby bedding, and didn’t take time to think about the little stuff.

But how I would have done it differently if I had known any better, or I had at least found the Burpcatcher. And from the reviews by our parentbloggers, this is the way to go for a shower gift or just a little something extra special. Whether you’ve got a child with extra burpage or just want a great burp cloth, our bloggers unanimously say, check this one out!

Most of the moms who tried out the burpcatcher never really had to use the pocket, but they still thought it was a fairly handy feature. “For those of you with babies with projectile spit up, or babies that have some force behind the spit up –this product is for YOU!!  The pocket will catch the spit up.“ And even if your baby doesn’t ever spit up, you can still use it for other things, like keeping that remote control in check over your nursing pillow.

Many of the moms commented as to how soft the burp cloth itself was, and while it might seem a bit pricy at $9.99, it would make the perfect shower gift. “The first thing we noticed is that they’re SOFT.  Like, soft like the skin on your baby’s belly, soft.” “It’s better than the “using old cloth diapers as a spit up towel” just in softness (and I don’t care how many times you downy those cloth diapers)!”

There were differing opinions on the absorbancy of the cloth itself. Most of our bloggers found it to be fairly absorbant, while one blogger thought that it took a bit too long to dry.

Overall, our bloggers felt it was the way to go, particularly for that clueless new mom. So, hooray for the burpcatcher — saver of shirts, sanity, and perhaps money, in the long run.

Good Kids Bad Habits Round-Up: Common Sense Reference and Reminders

“Common sense is not so common.”  – Voltaire

We know what we should and shouldn’t do, both for ourselves and for our children.  That doesn’t mean we always do it, but I’d bet that most of us make the effort most of the time.

Good Kids Bad Habits is about making the effort.  It’s not about achieving perfection, nor is it intended to tear down or guilt-trip parents whose habits – and by extension, their kids’ habits – need improvement.  There’s no “supersecret way…to get [kids] to eat a bite of fruits and vegetables now and again” and “nothing in [the book] is rocket science, but that’s okay. I don’t need to know how to build a rocket; I just want a healthy kid.”

While most of us are making the effort, we may not know exactly how well we’re doing – how healthy (or not) our kids truly are.  Good Kids Bad Habits begins with “a test to help you determine what you can and should do to have healthier children.”  Based on the results, you can see not only where you’re doing well, but also where you might have ”some room for improvement in some important areas” – areas that you may not have realized were quite so important.

What really struck me as I read the blogger reviews was that each one took away different lessons – different areas for improvement that reflected each individual blogger’s personal situation.  Some had a toddler, others had a pre-schooler, some had a child in elementary school, and some had a combination of these ages.  Different concerns surfaced in different age ranges, which lends further support to the conclusion reached by many of our bloggers:  Good Kids Bad Habits is “a reference book that I will most likely go back to as my daughter’s life renders new chapters more and more relevant.”

Nutrition was a biggie across the board, regardless of age.  Toddler moms “liked the “Keep Your Family’s Diet Colorful” chart, which lists a variety of foods according to color and suggests that you buy at least two items from each color category on every shopping trip.”  Parents of older children were a bit more jaded (and as the parent of a picky eater, I understand why), commenting that setting a good example “sounds pretty easy, but we’ve been doing that pretty much for the last seven years, and there are few signs of it working.”  Doing the right thing doesn’t always bring short-term results, but in the long run, these kids are establishing good nutrition habits.

Safety was one of the surprises for a few bloggers – what children should know that they were never taught (“Sure, [she] wears a bike helmet, but did I ever teach her the Universal Choking Signal?”) and what parents should do to protect children even when it no longer seems necessary (“putting in a new medicine cabinet, cabinet locks and re-fitting the girls’ bike helmets“).

Another favorite section – one that’s often overlooked as we assume kids will just figure it out – is the one concerning self-esteem, stress, and relationships with parents and peers.  “This book has some good, solid reminders about getting down on their level, looking children in the eye, using their names to make sure they’re focusing and talking calmly” – strategies we know but sometimes forget to employ in the heat of the moment.  And when it comes to self-image and confidence, “we’d all like to be able to say that our kids are pillars of strength, molded in our image, but the truth is, many of us are walking around with insecurities and issues that began in childhood.”  Finally, this section also describes “how children show stress at different ages.  That is useful, unless your child always shows stress by piercing howls and the throwing of nutritious foods” (yep, I can relate to that too).

Good Kids Bad Habits is about much more than pushing the green vegetables and scaling back on TV time.  It covers a broad spectrum of challenges that parents and children will face throughout the course of childhood.  Obviously, parents with children at different stages will find different sections more relevant than others, but that’s what makes this book such an excellent reference tool for years to come.

For more information about Good Kids Bad Habits,please visit the RealAge Parenting Center.  And to win your own copy (we’ve got two), leave us a comment by March 16, 2007 and let us know why you need this book!

School Zone Discovery Cards: What They’re Saying So Far

I almost never get nostalgic for those pre-walking, pre-talking days.  Potty-trained kids who speak in complete sentences – that’s more my speed.  But there really is something magical about seeing the wonder and delight in a baby’s eyes as they explore and discover.  So I have to admit that I really enjoyed reading the blogger reviews – and looking at all the adorable pictures of all the adorable babies! – of the School Zone Discovery Cards.

All of our bloggers simply raved about the Clever Baby Cards “Fuzzy Animal Friends”, and if these little ones could talk, they’d be gushing too.  One nine-month old was “thrilled with the fact that these brightly coloured critters kept appearing for her amusement“, and another little girl who just celebrated her first birthday “likes to chew on the crinkly legs and tails and look at the how the foil colors change when she waves them around.”  Even when the babies aren’t yet sophisticated enough to appreciate the details, our bloggers certainly are.  One commented that the cards are “appropriately named, because they are clever – the swan’s neck becomes the monkey’s tail on the other side of the card.”.  And there was even some high praise for the product team who “clearly did their research when it comes to understanding what babies at my daughter’s developmental stage like.”

The babies weren’t as into the Peek-a-Boo-Bunny cards, and we couldn’t seem to figure out why.  Mothers of the younger babies – around six months old – proclaimed their little ones ”just not quite ready to fully appreciate them yet“.  Mothers of the older babies noted that these cards “seemed slightly more complicated, and hopefully that would translate into more interest“, and while the babies ”seemed to enjoy the cards with their brightly colored pictures and flaps at first…I have tried to engage her on numerous occasions to play with them on her own or with us. It might be that she is just a bit too old for them.”

Even so, all of our bloggers – or rather, their babies – were sincerely excited about both sets of cards.  While the Fuzzy Animal Friends engendered immediate infatuation - ”[she] loved them… adored them, even… refused to be separated from them… ” – love for the Peek-a-Boo-Bunny cards may just need a bit of time to blossom – “I suspect that it’s just a matter of a little more repetition before she makes the connection.”

Check out the upcoming School Zone Discovery Cards reviews as our toddlers put these cards to the test!  And don’t miss the round-up review on Friday, March 16 – we’ll have excerpts from all of the blogger reviews, covering every detail of how the babies enjoyed these cards. 

Thursday, 3/8 – Seabird Chronicles

Friday, 3/9 – Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting

Monday, 3/12 – Domestic Diva

Tuesday, 3/13 – Motherhood Uncensored

Wednesday, 3/14 – I Obsess

Your Baby Can Read Campaign Launch

You can’t escape the research that says “start ‘em young” and for the most part, I imagine many of us roll our eyes — yet another thing for us to worry about, right? However, when it comes to communication and making life easier, I’m all for it. I’m not a baby whisperer by any means and I imagine there would be a lot less tears (mine that is) if my baby and toddler would be able to communicate and even read earlier.  And why not give them a head start if I can?

Enter Your Baby Can Read, a research based program that actually teaches babies, toddlers, and preschoolers how to read. Upon the recommendation that reading be started earlier and use a whole language and phonics approach, Dr. Robert Titzer created a multi-sensory approach to reading  where children as young as 3 months can learn to recognize words using several senses at one time.

If you’re curious, or skeptical like me, then check out what our ten bloggers had to say about the program:

Thursday, 3/8 – Karianna – http://www.karianna.us/blog

Friday, 3/9 – Mother Bumper – http://motherbumper.blogspot.com

Monday, 3/12 – Her Bad Mother – http://badladies.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 3/13 – Cheese Party – http://cheeseparty.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 3/14 – I Obsess – http://i-obsess.typepad.com

Thursday, 3/15 – Daddy In a Strange Land – http://daddyinastrangeland.com

Friday, 3/16 – Chaos Theory – http://andromeda.qc.ca

Monday, 3/19 – Do as I say…and no one gets hurt – http://reviews.mothergoosemouse.com

Tuesday, 3/20 – Binkytown – http://amywojo.typepad.com

Wednesday, 3/21 – Delaney Diaries – http://delaneydiaries.typepad.com

Check back for the mid-run round-up on March 15 and the final word on March 26. And to purchase your own Your Baby Can Read program, click here!

CleanWell Natural Hand Sanitizer: What They’re Saying So Far

Sure. Pick up that raisin and eat it — it’s only been on the ground for four seconds!

Works for me.  After all, isn’t it the FIVE-second rule?

While I’d like to credit my older daughter’s exceptional health to all the instances in which we’ve strengthened her immune system through the consumption of food that has spent less than five seconds on the floor (of our home, of Nordstrom, of Terminal A at Newark Liberty Airport…), I’m realizing that anti-bac is not just hype.  Especially when it’s safe, effective, tidy, and thyme-scented.  In other words, when it’s CleanWell.

We kicked off our CleanWell review campaign at “the Germiest Place on Earth – Disney World.  What better place to test it than there?“  Sure, Disney World is both happy and germy, but “consider how many sneezed-on, germ-encrusted fingertips touch elevator buttons, stair railings, children’s toys in waiting rooms, shopping cart handles, exercise equipment at the gym…“  And while adults usually remember to keep their dirty fingers out of their mouths, kids don’t – especially while they’re eating: “Greasy fries are one thing; germy greasy fries, not so much.“

So far, our reviewers have given CleanWell a unanimous thumbs-up.  From the design and packaging - ”the spray pump has a hinged lid, one less thing to lose, and is the perfect purse or briefcase size” – to the scent – “the main note in the fragrance is thyme…it’s fresh, clean, and doesn’t have a heavy floral scent“, they’re sold on the aesthetics as much as the efficacy and ease of use of the product: ”Two pumps, rub dry, and my hands felt wonderfully clean.“

Unlike other alcohol-based sanitizers, there’s “no weird gelly feeling that makes you want to go wash your hands (sort of defeats the purpose of the product).”  Plus, since there’s no alcohol, it’s “gentle on the skin“, eliminating that “cracked, scaly skin on your hands” caused by the drying effects of alcohol.

But here’s the kicker:  Kids like it too, which means they won’t fight you when you’re trying to clean them up.  In fact, they might beat you to it: ”One of the mini spray bottles was stolen from me, by my daughter, who keeps it in the front pocket of her lunch cooler. She has become Sanitizer Girl and all the kids gather round for a super squirt before lunch. When the kids want to use it, it’s a gooood thing.”

A very good thing indeed.

Stay tuned for the rest of the CleanWell reviews coming up this week:

Monday, 3/5 – Three Kid Circus
Tuesday, 3/6 – Karianna
Wednesday, 3/7 – Do as I say…and no one gets hurt
Thursday, 3/8 – Mommy’s Must Haves
Friday, 3/9 – GingaJoy

Burpcatcher: What They’re Saying So Far

If you’ve got a collection of shirt shoulders covered in spit-up, then the Burpcatcher might just be what you (and your wardrobe) have been waiting for. We’ve all done our share of gasping, grabbing, and dare I say, gagging when our little one decides to give back what we have given them. And while some folks may be well prepared for the “come-uppance,” if you’re anything like me, you’re reaching for anything you can get your hands on, and usually, you still have a mess to wipe up when you’re done. So for the past week, our bloggers with babies have been testing out the Burpcatcher, a burp cloth with a pocket, to see if it really lives up to its name. And we’re not surprised that it was not only handy for burps, but other interesting things as well.

As far as the concept, the bloggers were definitely digging the idea of the pocket.  “I was happy to find that the flannel fabric was just as absorbent as the cloth diapers we’ve been using and caught most of the spit-up before it reached the pocket, but the pocket did save my sweater a couple of times.”

A few found that friends and family were coveting their Burpcatcher — a nice way to make yourself the popular mom at the playgroup and cheer someone up with a handy gift. “I even brought it to my new mommy’s group to see what some of the other mothers thought, and those of us that have experienced the spit-up agreed that it would have been a great gift.” “…a visiting relative oohed and aahed over the design and wished that she had had one when her kids were young.” ”Also, I doubt I’d spend $10 on two burp cloths especially if I knew my kid could ruin it in one fell blow.  I could see purchasing them for a new mom as a gift (and will do so)”

For those folks that didn’t need the pocket, they found it to be an extra nice burp cloth and super absorbant.  It has been great for wiping spit up off his face though because it is SO soft!”  “I did pour a small glass of water on the BurpCatcher just to see if it would leak onto my shoulder. I have to say that it did pretty well. It’s by no means water proof, but it is way better than using let’s say a dish towel for example (I have no idea who would do that!)” “Nice fabric! It’s much thicker and softer than your average multipack of burp clothes that you pick up at the local baby superstore.” I found the double layer of fleece to much more absorbent than the thin burp cloths I had been using and was able to reuse it throughout the day. 

So far, so good — except one problem. You just can’t predict when the baby will spit-up. Perhaps a predictor button will come with the next version of the Burpcatcher.

See what our other reviewers have to say:

3/2: Creature Bug

3/5: Motherhood Uncensored

3/6: Mom Thoughts

3/7: Fishy Girl

Stay tuned for our final roundup later next week!

*Image from Sarah’s Dandelions

Good Kids Bad Habits: Here’s what they’re saying so far

The twenty-first century has brought all sorts of wonderful advances to aid in our efforts to keep ourselves healthy and to heal us when we are sick.  While such new developments are invaluable, there’s still no substitute for getting back to basics – and that’s exactly what Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg does in her book Good Kids Bad Habits:  “The advice here is not gimmicky or instant-fix. It’s solid, straightforward, and sane.”

So far, five of our parent bloggers have read and reviewed Good Kids Bad Habits, and their consensus is that it’s “a good common sense guide for understanding how what kids learn today sticks with them for the long run.”  Good Kids Bad Habits “covers it all — from stressing the benefits of healthy eating, good hygiene and lots of exercise to the virtues of establishing effective homework habits and safety-proofing your home.”  It’s not the type of book you read once and put away; instead “it’s a reference book…something you could pull off the shelf to use as a reminder and a benchmark throughout your child’s life.”  But parents shouldn’t feel overwhelmed or guilty as they read and re-read, because “the focus is on tackling issues one small goal at a time…Even if your child is already a teenager, it’s never too late to help them make small changes to their eating, exercise, learning, hygiene, and self-esteem that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.”

Even though Good Kids Bad Habits contains guidance that “you already know—you just need a kick in the butt to remind you to work on it,” there were still a few revelations.  One reviewer commented that she was “surprised to learn that one of the areas where we need the most work is safety.”  Another reviewer was pleased to see that the book covers “how to help children socialize and how to choose healthy friendships.”  Dr. Trachtenberg’s common-sense approach to eating – “try to meet weekly nutrition goals, and not stress over the importance of having every meal be a balanced meal” – is especially palatable to parents of toddlers.  But while we know what we should be doing – for ourselves and our kids – that doesn’t mean we’re doing it as consistently as we should.  As another reviewer put it: “I just turned 36 over the weekend, and this is stuff I’m still learning.”

Check out the rest of our blogger reviews over the rest of this week, followed by our round-up review on March 9.

Tuesday 2/27 – PunditMom

Wednesday 2/28 – 24/7

Thursday 3/1 – Surrender Dorothy

Friday 3/2 – Mommy Needs Coffee

Monday 3/5 – Cape Buffalo

If you’d like to purchase your own copy, click here!

School Zone Discovery Cards Campaign Launch

After seeing the movie “Parenthood” – where Rick Moranis quizzes his young daughter with flash cards – I vowed to adopt a relaxed attitude toward pre-school academics.  There’s plenty of time to worry about whether my children will qualify for the gifted and talented program.

For now, I’d like to help them have as much fun learning as possible.  Babies and toddlers learn by observing the world around them and making basic connections that we adults take for granted.  Flash cards with chemical symbols for all the elements in the periodic table won’t hold their attention.  But bright colors, interesting textures, and new sounds?  That’s more like it.

The School Zone Discovery Cards – geared toward babies older than six months – are intended to help expand their worlds in ways that little ones can enjoy and appreciate.  Our reviewers have received two sets of cards – Fuzzy Animal Friends and Peek-a-Boo Bear – and they’ll report back on how much their children enjoyed the cards.

Thursday, 3/1 – Quarter Rest

Friday, 3/2 – Mummy Chronicles

Monday, 3/5 – Growing a Life

Tuesday, 3/6 – Cheese Party

Wednesday, 3/7 – Hello Pushkin

Thursday, 3/8 – Seabird Chronicles

Friday, 3/9 – Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting

Monday, 3/12 – Domestic Diva

Tuesday, 3/13 – Motherhood Uncensored

Wednesday, 3/14 – I Obsess

We’ll also have a mid-campaign “here’s what they’re saying so far” post on Thursday, March 8.  Check back to see whether these cards go over better than the flash cards in “Parenthood”!

CleanWell Natural Hand Sanitizer Campaign Launch

Puddy: “Oh, germ-o-phobe. I know what that’s about.”
Elaine: “Huh?”
Puddy, showing her his necklace: “I’m a recovering germ-o-phobe. Ten years.”
Elaine: “What is this symbol?”
Puddy: “It’s a germ.”

From Seinfeld, Season 9, Episode 9, “The Apology”

Maybe we’re not all card-carrying germ-o-phobes like David Puddy, but I’d bet that most parents want to minimize unnecessary exposure.  I remember visiting amusement parks as a child, where my parents would routinely hiss: “Don’t touch that!  Don’t touch that either!  Do NOT put your hands in your mouth!”

We didn’t have hand sanitizer.  We washed our hands when we had the opportunity and used wet wipes in the interim.

Now hand sanitizer is everywhere – public restrooms, supplied by management at workplaces, in our handbags and diaper bags – but there’s a new worry:  Development of highly-resistant bacteria that are immune to the antiseptic chemicals used in hand sanitizer.

CleanWell is a company dedicated to finding a better way to clean.  Ingenium(TM) is the active ingredient in their hand sanitizer, and it’s created from essential plant oils – most notably thyme, which is a natural antiseptic.  CleanWell’s Chief Technology Officer is Dr. Larry Weiss – a Stanford Medical School graduate and a former NIH (National Institutes of Health) fellow.  On the CleanWell web site, he explains in detail the benefits of Ingenium(TM) over traditional alcohol-based sanitizers.  He also has a blog – A Better Way To Clean – which functions as a consumer forum.

For the next two weeks, the Parent Bloggers Network will put CleanWell hand sanitizer to the test – or rather, our children will.  We’ve got a family heading to Disney World, another family that’s so high and dry they refuse to use alcohol-based sanitizer in the winter, and a couple others who have newborns and pre-schoolers in close contact.  Check in daily to see how well CleanWell is working for our parents!

Monday, 2/26 – Builder Mama
Tuesday, 2/27 – Ruth Dynamite
Wednesday, 2/28 – Motherhood Uncensored
Thursday, 3/1 – Mother May I
Friday, 3/2 – Bananas and Toddlers
Monday, 3/5 – Three Kid Circus
Tuesday, 3/6 – Karianna
Wednesday, 3/7 – Do as I say…and no one gets hurt
Thursday, 3/8 – Mommy’s Must Haves
Friday, 3/9 – GingaJoy

Burpcatcher Campaign Launch

We’ve all been there — you hear the burp, you reach for a cloth (or if you’re really prepared, you’ve already got one on your shoulder), and out it comes. Except it usually hits the cloth and dribbles down hitting everything and anything in its path.

But instead of just sitting around with the it on her shoulder, journalist and mom Margaret Pressler did something about it. The simple “hit-yourself-in-the-head-because-you-didn’t-think-of-it” design of the Burpcatcher involves a soft diaper cloth with a pocket. So, when the it is about to hit, there’s actually something there to catch it. Your shirt, pants, and sanity are saved. A small price when it comes to life with a newborn.

Over the next two weeks, our fabulous bloggers with little spitty babies of their own will be putting the Burpcatcher to the test. Make sure to check out the reviews, share your thoughts, and enter to win one of your own. You’ll have to read to find out who’s giving them away!

2/22: Toddler Planet

2/23: Sarah’s Dandelions

2/26: Halloween Lover

2/27: Formula Fed & Flexible Parenting

2/28: Cootie Chronicles

3/1: Snarky Momma

3/2: Creature Bug

3/5: Motherhood Uncensored

3/6: Mom Thoughts

3/7: Fishy Girl