Reviews
Candy’s List of Favorite Things: Part Deux
Dec 16, 2009 | Filed Under: Reviews,Shopping
1. UpSpring Baby Milkscreen Home Test for Alcohol in Breast Milk. Well, THIS won’t make me sound like an alcoholic mother or anything. *Ahem* But after abstaining from sweet, sweet libations for nine months, mommy is entitled to a drink or two. I believe the general rule-of-thumb for breastfeeding mothers is that we’re supposed to wait two hours for every alcoholic drink before nursing again. However, if you’re super-paranoid like I am, then you’ll appreciate these strips that tell you if your milk is ready for baby, or if it’s still a White Russian. $9.99 for a pack of 8 strips.
2. Microwave Steam Sterilizer. Mr. Candy and I are kinda lazy when it comes to cleaning and whatnot. No! I kid! We are TOTALLY lazy when it comes to cleaning and whatnot. However, we do care enough about our kid that we don’t want her sucking on filthy bottles and pacifiers. (I know, I know…we’re parental overachievers.) The Avent Express Sterilizer is perfect for lazy/time-challenged, concerned parents. Just fill it with a little water and some of your kid’s crap, and stick it in the microwave for four minutes, and voila…! Sterilized baby crap. $30.99
3. Banana Republic’s Equestrian Flat Boot. I am a die-hard high-heel fan — seriously, I hiked the Mayan Ruins in three-inch heels on our honeymoon (Smart? No. But at least my calves looked good while I slid backward down the hills.) — so it was tough for me to give them up when I had Skye. Although I still wear them on special occasions, I’m not too keen on the idea of teetering on them while carrying the baby. So I searched for more practical… ugh, I just said the P-word… yet stylish options and came across these boots from Banana Republic. I bought them in black AND brown, and wear the black ones almost every day. The brown ones are so dark, they look black, so I wouldn’t recommend them. But I sure do love me the black boots. Comfy, cute and great for tucking in your jeans, as is so popular right now. $160
4. “Captivating Cap Sleeve Dress” (aka Nursing Nightgown). It’s hard to feel sexy when you have a baby latched on your boob, but this nightgown does make you feel cute — which is something expectant and new mommies deserve. Great for maternity and post-pregnancy wear, the nightgown has concealed nursing slits with easy access for breastfeeding. A note about sizing: It is roomy, obviously, so I wear a small now that I’ve lost the baby weight, even though I usually wear a medium. $68 (Use discount code MMHOLIDAY09 and get an extra 30 percent off, like I did!)
5. Canon Rebel XSi Camera. When I found out I was pregnant, I decided to upgrade our cheap digital camera in hopes of capturing some fabulous pictures of our little one. A photographer friend recommended the Rebel XSi when I told her I wanted a “decent camera that wouldn’t break the bank.” Once Mr. Candy and I figured how to, um, put it in auto-focus (Shut up! I had pregnancy brain!), it has truly exceeded our expectations. $565 for the camera, plus $360 for what my friend calls the “magic lens” — which I have yet to get. Maybe “Santa” will put one in my stocking…? *Cough* Are you reading this, Mr. Candy? *Cough*
Mr. Candy’s List of Favorite Things
Dec 14, 2009 | Filed Under: Reviews,Shopping | Tags: Mr. Candy
When I posted my list of favorite things, some of you asked if Mr. Candy could suggest his fave items for new babydaddies. He’s been traveling like a fiend lately (fun for him AND me… ugh), so he asked me to be his not-so-secret ghostwriter, and even gave me pointers on the jokes he would like incorporated. If I “forget” to include those jokes, well, consider yourselves lucky.
MR. CANDY’S LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS:
1. Digital picture frame. Mr. Candy misses the little one when he’s at the office, so he asked me Santa for one of these for Christmas. We have one at home, and are endlessly entertained by the digital slide show. (Simple minds and all.) Note that some frames use LCD panels with fewer pixels than others. This means they can’t display as much detail as frames with higher resolutions, such as the Kodak EasyShare D830 8-inch digital frame with its 800 by 600 resolution (currently on sale at Amazon for $129.99). I, er… I mean, Santa plans on taking the hint and loading up one of these puppies for Mr. Candy’s office with pictures of Skylar, the kitties and maybe even one of me — even though I know I rate a distant fourth in the photo hierarchy.
No office? No problem. Get a nice digital photo keychain for $17.
2. Oakley Sunglasses. Mr. Candy says nothing made him feel older than having a kid, which is why he apparently went out and got a pair of sporty Oakley sunglasses — to make himself feel “young and cool” again. A funny thing, considering when he told me he’d bought mirrored sunglasses, I was like, “Didn’t those go out of style fifteen years ago?” Turns out, they look REALLY good on him. [I'm supposed to inject a joke about how he recommends the mirrored lenses to men, so their wives won't notice them checking out "the young hotties" -- but, as you can imagine, that joke was met with *crickets* 'round here.] I see a pair similar to Mr. Candy’s on Oakley.com for $120. Young hotties not included.
3. Diaper Dude Diaper Bag. I’d bought one of these in black for Mr. Candy when I was pregnant with Miss Skye. And he was all, “Couldn’t I just use YOUR diaper bag if I need one?” And I was all, “No. You cannot.” And that was that. I think he’s surprised how often this bag has come in handy since Skylar’s arrival. It’s about as manly as a diaper bag’s gonna get. Plus, lots o’ pockets for daddy-and-me Heinekens! Awww. Currently on sale for $53.10 with free shipping.
4. Edge Wine. This one gets the Candy AND Mr. Candy Seal of Drunken Approval. We were introduced to Edge Wine on a Santa Barbara winery tour — even though it’s a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — and my, oh my, how we wished we’d bought several cases of it. It is, as a refined sommelier would say, f*cking good. Voted “Best Cabernet Sauvignon Under $20″ by Food & Wine Magazine.
Let’s face it, if there’s one thing new parents should have, it’s alcohol. Cheers! $20/bottle.
Drawing Bottle Lines
Dec 8, 2009 | Filed Under: Reviews,Shopping
As a new mama, I often turn to the most credible source in the world for parenting advice. No! Not Dr. Phil, silly. I’m talking about the World Wide Web. In all seriousness, I have gleaned some helpful info from other moms in forums and whatnot, so I would like to pay it forward by sharing my own insights and experiences every once in a while, like I did last week with my (not-so-original) sleeper blanket suggestion. Not everyone may agree with my findings — if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that us parents tend to have VERY strong opinions about certain things, and often aren’t afraid to voice them — but all I can do is tell you what worked for us.
Today’s exciting lesson: BOTTLES! WOO-HOO!
Much of the parenting literature out there strikes fear in the hearts of breastfeeding mothers. Don’t introduce the bottle too soon! Uh-oh — now it’s too late! Be wary of nipple confusion! Be sure to tilt the bottle at a 45-degree angle while jumping up and down like a monkey! I waited about a month to introduce the bottle to Miss Skye and, really, the only problem I had was the monkey jump. I’m just not that coordinated. Otherwise, no nipple confusion or anything of the sort.
However, Mr. Candy — who is, not surprisingly, the one who usually feeds her the bottle when I’m out doing very important things, like getting my highlights done — has informed me that Skylar DOES have a definitive bottle preference. Although I like the Medela electric pump, the Medela BOTTLES that come with the set…? Not so much. Apparently, Skylar — who’s pretty adaptable — just stared at the Medela bottle looming above her mouth and asked, “Huh?” Its nipple doesn’t mimic a breast very well, and the milk comes out faster than a shotgunned beer. Or so Skylar tells us.
Mr. Candy switched to the Born Free bottles that I had bought and had no such problem. She chowed down like a pro. Now we only use the Medela bottles for storage. I’ve also heard good things about the Breastflow bottles (again, this is probably only helpful to mamas who are nursing), but we haven’t tried them. The Born Free bottles work for us, so if it ain’t broke, um, don’t break it! Or something like that.
If any of you have insight to impart — about using a bottle with breastfed and/or formula-fed babies, or about shotgunning a beer — please share…!
Candy’s List of Favorite Things
Dec 6, 2009 | Filed Under: Featured,Reviews,Shopping
It’s no secret that Oprah stole her “favorite things” idea from me — I harbor no resentment because the poor woman needed SOMETHING to finally garner attention and success — but I’m not going to let that stop me from continuing to share some of MY favorite things, in case you’re looking for a holiday treat and/or present.
Continue Reading »
Here’s Reading About You, Kid
Nov 11, 2009 | Filed Under: Reviews,Shopping | Tags: Books
“The First Adventures of Incredible You” Book
Okay, we get it already. Sam’s friend…? A begrudging fan of green eggs and ham. But now it’s time to move on to a book exploring a character with a much more dynamic life and, hopefully, fewer food hangups: your own child.
Review: Milking Nursing Pads for All They’re Worth
Oct 15, 2009 | Filed Under: Reviews,Shopping | Tags: Nursing Pads
A couple weeks after giving birth to my gorgeous daughter, I strolled into Starbucks feeling rather good about myself. Wearing a pre-pregnancy dress and high-heeled boots, I felt like — dare I say it? — a hot mama. While I waited for my latte, I chatted with the barista about my baby and noticed that he was checking me out. Wow. I really MUST be looking good, I thought.
Until I got home and looked down… and realized that he wasn’t admiring me, but rather staring in horror at the fresh milk stains on my breasts.
Hot.
I’ve had the mixed blessing of abundant milk production: good for baby; not so good for me. Determined not to give any more Starbucks baristas nightmares about my leaky boobs, I’ve tried out a number of different nursing pads and thought I’d share my experiences (for which I have not received any free product samples, by the way).
Gerber Ultra-Thin Nursing Pads: Intrigued by the slightly cheaper price tag ($5.99) and the ultra-thinness (my lactating breasts do NOT need extra padding, if you know what I’m sayin’), I tried these pads first. Unfortunately, ultra-thin meant, well, ultra-thin. My milk floweth over. Not very effective for this milk-”blessed” mama.
Glitzy Gals Washable Nursing Pads: They’re pretty! They’re reusable! They’re… immediately soaked, uncomfortable and ineffective. On the bright side, they make very cute coasters for my iced lattes.
Johnson’s Nursing Pads: I’d asked my husband to pick up some nursing pads (bless his soul), and he grabbed a box of these — which has become my go-to nursing pad. They’re bulkier, but worth it. Super absorbent, they even hold back overnight floods of milk. The nursing pad equivalent of the Aswan Dams, if you will. Because of the small adhesive, they do move around sometimes. Which is why I’ve become a fanatic about making sure they’re in place. So, sure, I often look like I’m feeling myself up, but at least my shirt is dry.
Toy Review: Norman PhartEphant Needs to Lay Off the Bean Burritos
Sep 28, 2009 | Filed Under: Reviews,Shopping | Tags: Reviews, Toys
Passing gas is not something that was ever done openly, or discussed openly, in my house while growing up. Rather, it was done behind closed bathroom doors — OR something my dad did in his sleep, causing him to wake up with a start and look around for the loud and offending intruder: “WHO?! HUH?! What WAS that?” Which invariably made my mom and I burst into uncontrollable laughter. Ah, good times.
The lesson being, accidental farts: funny. Purposeful farts: not so much.
I’ve carried that important lesson with me all my life. That, and my dad’s insistence that I change my car’s oil every 3,000 miles are indelibly burned in my brain. Now that I have a baby, however, Mr. Candy and I talk about little BESIDES poop and gas. Sort of hard to avoid when our child farts as though we have her on a curry-and-beer diet, and has even taken to grunting dramatically and LIFTING HER BUTT when doing so.
Of course, we think it’s absolutely precious.
This may explain why I think Norman PhartEphant — the soft, cute guy hanging out with Miss Skye up there — is sort of precious, too. He was sent to me to check out by the creator, a woman who says her sons inspired the gassy toy. I don’t often respond to product pitches, but the PhartEphant piqued my immaturity interest. As you’ve likely guessed, Norman makes different farting noises when you squeeze his tail. A symphony of toots, if you will. It’s not an entirely crass toy, though — the elephant does apologize for his lack of, um, willpower; the creator also hopes parents will use the elephant as a springboard to “talk to their child about bodily functions.”
After they’re done laughing at the fart noises, that is.
Hopefully, Norman’s manners will rub off on my gassy eight-week-old daughter, who recently let ‘er rip when I went to kiss her chubby thigh. Yes, IN MY FACE! Without so much as an “Oops, my bad.”
Best of all, a portion of Norman’s sales are donated to children’s charities, including Smile Train (providing free cleft surgery for children in developing countries ) and Half the Sky (helping orphaned children in China).
Available at various retail stores and the official PhartEphant Web site;$24.95. Air freshener sold separately.
Now THAT’s phart-astic. (You knew I couldn’t resist.)
Dealing with Stretch Marks and Other Joys of Pregnancy
Apr 17, 2009 | Filed Under: Reviews,Shopping | Tags: Beauty, Stretch Marks
Moms who choose not to commemorate their pregnancy with a scrapbook, blog or what-have you still often have another lasting memento: stretch marks. Yay! A pregnancy roadmap forever etched on your breasts! How wonderful. Or… not.
Personally, I’m not too keen on my stomach looking like the New Jersey Turnpike, although I know it may be inevitable. Much of it depends on genes, I’m sure. It won’t be the end of the world if I’m stuck with them (being stuck at a Jessica Simpson concert would be a far worse fate), but if I can do something to minimize the scars, you can be damn sure I’m gonna do it!
My cousin, who (conveniently for me) is a labor and delivery nurse, bought me a tube of this Erbaorganics Mommy-to-Be Stretch Mark Cream. Apparently, one of her patients used it and her skin looked “amazing.” Thanks, cuz! It’s too soon to say if it totally works, but at 25 weeks I don’t have any marks yet AND my skin is silky smooth. I’m already on my second tube of the stuff. (Got a lot of area to cover.)
Seriously, I’d even wrap myself in gypsy moth poop if someone told me it had magical anti-stretch powers.
Please note that shopping tips and suggestions are not paid for — just Candy’s general observations and ramblings — unless specified as a Sponsored Listing.
