Shutterfly's Custom Photobooks Review

A few months ago I got a coupon in my email from Shutterfly, offering me a free 8x8, hardcover 20 page custom photo book where all I had pay was the $8.95 shipping. Given that normally these cost at least $19.99, I didn't want to pass the opportunity up, but I wasn't really sure what kind of photo book to make as I regularly fill photo albums with 4x6 photos.

A friend on Facebook was talking about how she was doing a 1st year book for her son, as she felt she slacked on putting together his baby book. In the comments, a friend of hers mentioned how she knew someone that put together a family photo book for their children so the babies could flip through it and identify all the relatives they see regularly!

What a great idea!

Jay's got quite a big extended family, as hubby has 5 siblings so a family photo boo would be a great way for him to get used to recognizing faces of family members and remembering who's who!

So I spent an evening after Jay went to bed and put one together for him.

There's pages of just me and hubby, labeled mommy and daddy, then ones of us with Jay. There's a spread of our kitty Tiger, another of my parents, hubby's parents, my sister, my aunt, uncle and cousin Jay sees occasionally, one of his aunt, uncle and 2 cousins, hubby's sister, and one of Jay's other 3 uncles.

He loves looking at pictures, so this has been pretty neat, however I have to be careful showing it to him since it's not a board book and I don't want him tearing up the pages, lol...

It's actually pretty neat and I'm glad I didn't let the coupon go to waste! Shutterfly runs specials and promotions quite often too, so you'll most likely never pay full price if you want to make one of your own (which I definitely recommend!).

Product Review: Baby Monitors

I mentioned a few weeks ago that our baby monitor was starting to crap out on us.

We registered for The First Years 49MHz Baby Monitor with 2 Receivers at Target as it seemed to be the best value - we don't need a video monitor or anything fancy, just something simple and basic that serves its purpose.

The monitor worked pretty well for a while, the battery operation that makes it wireless worked just fine and the sound, while a little bit of static from time to time and occasionally we would hear a nearby baby coming over the frequency, it was tolerable.

Right around when Jay turned 7 months is when it started crapping out.

We turned it on one night and the static was pretty bad not to mention the monitor kept cutting in and out. It was very annoying! Just to make sure it wasn't the receiver in the bedroom going bad, we switched it out with the one we use on batteries and it was doing the same thing - horrible static and the constant cutting in and out. We checked the child unit and did everything we could think to try to correct the problem but with no such luck. Nothing had changed from how we had previously been using it.

We pitched it in the trash and the next day I went out and bought us the Sony 900MHZ BabyCall Nursery Monitor.

It has multiple channels to use (the First Years one only had 2), and the receiver charges when it's plugged in so you can use it wirelessly for a bit (no batteries, woot!). A lot of the reviews said it had no static, which I guess is true if you don't use a sound machine or humidifier in your child's room, but we do so it does pick up a lot of extra noise, but it does amplify Jay's cries and movements so we hear them over the background noise in his room.

Granted, this one only has 1 receiver, but honestly, the only time we use the baby monitor is when I'm either asleep at night in our room or if Jay's in bed and we're downstairs for an extended period of time. The rest of the time, if I'm in the family room or kitchen I can hear him just fine. The charging feature is really nice though  - I really like that!

I am liking it so far, but we'll see how long this monitor lasts - hopefully longer than 7 months! I did purchase the extended warranty on it too for an additional $5. I forget how long it covers it additionally, but if it stops working properly within the extended time frame, Babies/Toys R Us will replace it for us.

Fun with Our Phones Monday #5

 

It's Monday! Which means it's time for Fun with Our Phones Monday!!! I have quite a few to share this week too!

Being a silly boy on the couch

That's Tiger, laying in her usual spot on the loveseat in front of the window, only she's completely stretched out over the pillow there, her feet hanging out over, lol...

Maybe a little hard to see, but the license plate says Ryne S and it's a Chicago Cubs license plate. This was here in Rockford... I thought it was a bit odd and was curious if maybe it was THE Ryne Sandberg, who was my favorite Chicago Cub while growing up. I didn't get to see the driver unfortunately =(

I busted out my Apple Strudel candle we got from the Apple Orchard last year - it's officially fall, so I figured why not? I LOVE this candle, it's PERFECT for fall!

He decided to just climb over his activity table to play with the toys on the opposite side there, lol...

Caught him trying to break into the kitchen cabinet, lol...

My sis took this one - too funny though!

I ALWAYS put his hat on straight but within seconds (it seems) he has it flipped over to the side like this, lol...

We went shopping at Kohl's and I bought him a Clifford stuffed animal (it was $5 with proceeds going to charity). He loves it and fell asleep with it in the car.

A friend posted on Facebook photos of all the dead fur and junk this product called the Furminator brushed off her cat. Tired of Tiger's shedding all over the place, I checked into it and found a great deal on it on Amazon. This is just the 1st 2 sittings I've done grooming her (she doesn't like to sit still) and it definitely got A LOT! I soooo recommend this product!

 Hubby got off work early on Thursday and we met him for a late lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. They gave Jay a kid's menu, which he had fun destroying, lol...

 I took Jay to the big indoor playworld again this week and he decided to play a bit this week (last week he just sat and watched the other kids, staying glued to me with a death grip!). Hubby came with, so I think that helped!

We went to our favorite sushi restaurant and let Jay play with a pair of chopsticks

 He had THE MOST fun with these little plastic cups you put soy and other sauces in - he even took it home with us and has been playing with it around the house, lol... it's just his size!

We stocked up on stuff at Sam's Club, including paper towels! This beast of 15 rolls took me a bit to figure out where to store them all!

Our 1st visit to the Edward's Apple Orchard in Poplar Grove this year!

We let Jay try an apple cider donut - he LOVED it and at probably 1/4th of hubby's donut! We also let him sip some cooled hot apple cider too, which he also loved and started smacking the cup for more, lol...

They have a mini-petting zoo, which we let Jay check out the animals

And there's this growth sunflower you can check your height at - hopefully we remember to do this every year!

He was FASCINATED by the huge fans inside the store.

Watching his Grandpap's team (the Steelers, as my parents are both from the Pittsburgh area) lose on Sunday Night Football while he plays with his daddy's hair, lol...

My Top 10 Diaper Bag Must-Haves

I recently got an email update from What to Expect (much like I do everyday) with an article link to "Diaper Bag Must-Haves". I agreed with all their suggestions, but had a few of my own to add.

1. Diapers
This is a no-brainer as it IS called a "diaper bag." I usually try to keep at least 4 or 5 in there so I don't have to constantly be refilling it as the only time he goes through more than 1 at a time is when he's over at my mom's while I'm working or out.

2. Wipes
I always keep a package of wipeys in the diaper bag

3. Diaper rash ointment
I prefer Desitin and always keep a tube in there

4. Sunblock (in the warmer months)
You never know when you might go outside for an extended period of time & you don't want baby to get burned so it's a good idea to keep some of this in the diaper bag. We use Huggies Little Swimmers waterproof spf50 sunblock.

5. A spare bottle
Cuz kiddo might randomly decide to get hungry at the most inopportune times!

6. Some baby food
At Target and Babies R Us you can find small formula containers like the one in the picture by Munchkin where you measure out the formula powder beforehand and then just pour it into the bottle when you need it. I LOVE this product and am soooo glad to have it - it really comes in handy and I don't have to carry an entire tub of formula with me! This particular one has 3 separate spots.

7. Your kid's "lovey"
Jay's is his stuffed Elmo so I make sure to always put him the diaper bag before we go out.

8. Bib/Burpie
Jay drools A LOT right now so for us it's mandatory to have an extra bib in the bag and of course a burpie cloth is needed in case he eats while we're out and about.

9. A blanket
More for the colder months, as you never know how the weather will be - one minute it's in the 70s and your kid is in shorts, the next it's in the 50s and you need something to throw over his legs! Plus, if you're driving in the colder months and something happens where your car breaks down, doesn't hurt to have a blanket on hand, especially for kiddo!

10. A spare set of clothes
In case your child has a blowout in his diaper that goes up his back or some other massive mess that requires a change of clothes while you're out.

Honorable Mention: A bottle of water
More so in case you get stranded somewhere like if your car breaks down - if kiddo gets hungry you can mix a bottle for them (assuming you have #'s 5&6).

The Pea Incident

Ever since Jay's 4 month check-up, when the doctor gave us the "okay" we promptly started introducing him to baby solid foods, primarily veggies to start with.

I picked a Gerber Nature Select pack at Sam's that had 6 jars of sweet potatoes, 6 jars of carrots and 6 jars of peas.

Having been warned he might not like the peas, I started him with the sweet potatoes (which might I add, actually tasted pretty decent for being baby food!). He seemed to like those a lot!

Once we finished those with no allergic reactions we gave him the carrots, which he also seemed to like!

This is the result of Jay trying to "help" mommy put the
spoon in his mouth - carrots EVERYWHERE, lol...

Then, once those were gone, we got to the peas...

and boy did he NOT like those!

He took the 1st spoonful just fine, but the 2nd one he started fussing about, and by the time I attempted to get a 3rd spoonful in him he was spitting out at me and screaming bloody murder (I swear he was cussing me out in baby speak, lol...). I called my mom for advice and after hearing him scream in the background told me just to save them and try again in a few weeks as to not force it into him and turn him off to eating the solid foods, so I fixed him another bowl of rice cereal for dinner that night instead as I needed to go get some more non-green veggies for him.

Sleeping in the high chair

I got about 1/4th the bowl of cereal in him before he passed out in his high chair for a good half hour or so - he wore himself out screaming over the peas! LOL...

So apparently Jay does not like baby food peas!

Since the pack at Sam's only has the 3 flavors in it I went to Walmart to stock up on other flavors - in addition to carrots and sweet potatoes I grabbed some squash and sweet potatoes with corn (which he finished off this week just fine!). I also grabbed some fruits too so we can start those next week - he has apples, bananas, peaches, and pears waiting for him to try!

I like the Gerber Nature Select foods as they come in a 2pk plastic container with snap on lid for just under a $1 and it's made with 100% natural fruits/veggies, with no added sugar, salt, starch, artificial colors or flavors! He also eats the Gerber brand rice cereal too. He's definitely a Gerber baby!

Huggies Update

Remember how last week I was complaining about the constant leaks we were having with these Huggies Snug & Dry diapers we decided to try out since they were cheaper and there were more in the box?

Well, like I said, I emailed them about it, stating I would like a refund and even offered to send them back as I'd rather not keep using these things.

On Friday I got an email back, apologizing for the issue however they weren't sure why we were having the leaks but said maybe to try the next size up if Jay was near the end of the weight limit on the diapers (which is 15lbs - uh, he's only around 12-13lbs!) or to try a different make of Huggies diapers instead of the Snug and Dry ones. They also said they'd be forwarding my info along and I would be receiving a check for the diapers in the next 4-8 weeks!

Yay! So relieved, but let's see if they actually pull through and deliver!

Also, I still have this box with at least 250 diapers in it that I have no idea what to do with - we already went and bought a box of the Pampers Swaddlers that we know work just fine for us!

My Disappointment with Huggies Snug & Dry diapers

Over the weekend we started getting low on our giant box of Pampers Swaddlers my parents had bought us soon after Jay was born (although we couldn't use them til about a month and a half ago as Jay was so small he couldn't fit in size 1-2 yet). My mom said Sam's Club seemed to have the best price as far as quantity goes so she offered to take me with her to buy another box as my parents are members and we are not. She had mentioned Huggies had a similar type of diaper in the same size however there was more in the box and it was $6 less than Pampers. Like Pampers, Huggies also had a leakguard advertised on them and since Huggies and Pampers have always seemed to be in competition with each other we figured the quality would be about the same.

Boy were we wrong!

I bought the 264 count of the size 1-2 Huggies Snug & Dry diapers on Monday and started using them when we ran out of the Pampers on Tuesday (yesterday). I've had multiple problems within the first 24hours!

First, I was a bit disappointed with the material quality of the diaper. The Pampers Swaddlers are made of a softer, quilted type material which was nice on Jay's skin. Peeking into the Huggies box, they looked to be the same but apparently not - they're made out of the same stiff paper material that Walmart's Parent Choice brand uses (which we stopped using as soon as he fit into the Pampers as they were giving him some bad diaper rash).

Then, it took me multiple attempts to get the left side of the diaper to stay fastened as they don't use the tape like material that Pampers or Parent's Choice uses - it's some type of material that can be refastened several times (which I guess would be nice if you're just checking the diaper and have a false alarm) however I couldn't get it to stay fastened right away!

Last night, while Jay was having his late night feeding before bedtime he had a bit of a blowout!

Now he's had some blowouts before, but both Pampers and Parent's Choice I was able to get snug enough that it kept the poop from going up his back, stopping just at the top of the diaper. Not the case with the Huggies though - I finished feeding him and went to change him and YUCK! It was up his back, all over the back of his onesie he was wearing - the diaper didn't do much to hold it in or prevent it from going up his back! I put another one on him, getting it as snug as I could however it still didn't seem very snug in the back. But again, it was as tight as I could get it on him so I let it go and put him to bed.

This morning he woke up about 930am and I brought him over to our bed to snuggle for a bit before we actually got up. His diaper didn't seem that full so I figured I'd change it once we actually woke up for the day (I've done this for a month and a half with Pampers with no problems!). Laying in bed for an hour or so, Jay started getting fussy. Thinking maybe he was hungry, I passed him off to daddy so I could get up and make a bottle. I went to get out of bed though and noticed my side, where Jay was laying, was all wet! I look and there's a HUGE wet spot on the bed - sure enough, the diaper had leaked! I've only had one other diaper leak in our bed before and it was Parent's Choice brand and was because the diaper was fastened tight enough - in this case though I had fastened the diaper as tight as it would go!

What a disappointment and a way to start our morning!

I emailed Huggies, detailing my disappointment with their diapers - hopefully I hear something back and if not then I'll call and complain not only about the diapers but the lack of communication regarding my problem. I'd like a refund if possible (so I'm not out $36!) and I'd love to return this box if I could but I don't think Sam's will take it back since it's open with a handful of diapers missing.

If a diaper says it has a leak guard, it better well do it's job! I don't have the time or the patience to be constantly cleaning my kid, the sheets, his clothes and whatever else he leaks on because these diapers don't hold like they should!

As soon as I figure what to do with this box of diapers I plan on only purchasing the Pampers Swaddlers since I know we don't have these leaking problems with those and the material is much softer too - now I know why the hospital uses Pampers!

Now I'm wondering about the box of Huggies Little Swimmers I picked up at Sam's... if they're going to do their job like they should or if those will just be a big disappointment this summer as well!

Some Baby Must-Haves

So as far as being a new parent, a lot of things are trial and error.

As far as bottles/nipples go, I've come to really like the orthodontic Nuk brand by Gerber. The first bottles we tried were the Breastflow ones by The 1st Years but Jay didn't seem to like that particular nipple. Knowing he liked sucking on his binky, which was by Nuk, we decided to give their bottles a try which seem to work great for us!

Some of the highlights of the Nuk bottles:

• Airflow nipples to help reduce colic
• Orthodontic nipples promote healthy teeth formation
• The nipples are clear silicone (no worrying about a possible latex allergy)
• They simulate and support breastfeeding so you don't have to stress too much about nipple confusion if you're also breastfeeding

They also come in various colors and designs and in a 5oz bottle and 10oz bottle which you can buy individually for around $5 or in a 3 pack for $12.97 (at Walmart).

The pacifiers comes in different colors and designs as well - Jay has the standard Nuk "boy" set which includes 1 blue one with sailboats and 1 green one with butterflies, as well as one of the sports sets which has one with a football design and another with a baseball design.

The benefits of the Nuk pacifiers:

• Conforms to baby’s mouth just like mother’s breast during feeding
• Orthodontic design gently exercises tongue, palate and jaw 
• Promotes proper teeth alignment
• NUK Air System allows nipple to self-adjust for proper fit
• Grooves in the pacifier shield allow air to circulate helping to prevent skin irritation

Another baby must-have I've found is the Baby ESP app for Android.

This handy app makes it easy for you to keep track of when your baby ate and how much, when their last poop or pee was, when they slept and for how long, among other daily baby things one would keep track of. It's really come in handy, especially with Jay's growth/eating issues as I can keep track of how much he's eating daily to see if he's eating enough as well as if he's "stooling" enough so when the doctor asks I can easily give him an answer. It also creates a profile for your baby, showing you exactly how old your kiddo is!

Rather than spend money on other trackers, if you have a smartphone, it's worth the $3.99 for the full version of this app if you have a baby and need to keep an eye on that sort of stuff.

You can find it in the Android Market or get it from their official site - Baby ESP.