Archive for the ‘Product Review’ Category

  • 25 Feb

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Product Review: The Learning Tower (by Little Partners)

    6

    About two weeks ago, Jude’s recently-purchased Learning Tower arrived via UPS delivery. It staid in the entrance to our apartment for a few days until I was able to find the time to attempt assembly on my own.

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    For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Learning Tower, allow me to take a brief moment to describe the apparatus. The Learning Tower, at it’s root, is a glorified step stool for toddlers and young children. Please don’t let that kind of harsh description soil your opinion of it: it’s an awesome piece of furniture! It has an adjustable platform for the kids to stand on, a wide base to prevent tipping, and is semi-enclosed on all four sides so that little ones have less of a chance of falling off/out. Plus (plus!) it can support up to 500 pounds, so it doubles as a safe step stool for mom and/or dad!

    So, what good is a Learning Tower? Well, let me tell you–it allows children to (safely!) be at counter height in the kitchen, which in turn affords them the opportunity to watch or engage in what mom or dad are doing. For me, this was the number one reason for purchasing. Most kids, and Jude is certainly no exception, love to take part in the world around them. It’s how they learn. Since acquiring our Learning Tower, Jude has ‘helped’ me make dough for bread, chop veggies for meal time, assemble sandwiches for lunch, and wash dishes! He has learned (or is on his way to learning) that half of one cup is 1/2 cup, that there are three teaspoons in a tablespoon, and that mama curses when she forgets to mix cold water with the hot water while washing dishes. Hooray for learning!

    The Learning Tower can also be used as a stage for puppet/pretend play or as a place to sit and eat snacks. Little Partners are nice enough to send along a cloth drape to cover the Learning Tower and to assist with play time. (Note: Drape doubles as a cape.)

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    So, onto my (well, our) experience with assembly through playtime. I was amazed as how easy the Learning Tower was to put together. It would have been even easier if I had had some (adult) help (and if someone hadn’t hidden two pieces on me!), but I was able to put it together, fairly quickly, and with only stripping four screws (a personal best!). The instructions were clear, and the pieces were well-labeled.

    The unit is very, very sturdy. It is also on the heavy side (though Jude can push it around at will *sigh*), and definitely on the bulky side (read: not fantastic for small kitchens). The platform adjusts to four different heights. In other words, it grows with your kids! As your child gets taller, you simply lower the platform. You should note that the Learning Tower is available in a number of different colors/finishes, so you can (with any luck) match it to your kitchen space.

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    Our Learning Tower has, honestly, changed Jude’s and my day-to-day lives. He loves playing at the kitchen counter while I work in the kitchen. Tupperware and measuring cups have never been as much fun (or gotten so much use!) as they are now. And, the truly amazing part of all of this is that Jude will actually play by himself a little bit if he has access to the Learning Tower! He will happily allow me to fold clothes, so long as I bring them into the kitchen and hang out with him while he stacks his blocks or pours raisins from one container to the other and all over the kitchen floor.

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    In short, we LOVE the Learning Tower. If you’re looking for a way to include you child in your day-to-day tasks, don’t hesitate to purchase one. It is well worth the investment.

    Finally, here’s a video of Jude playing on his Learning Tower.

    Check out my other Product Reviews.

  • 29 Aug

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Product Review: 365 Diapers

    0

    Well, when we ran out of Seventh Generation diapers, we decided to try the generic, WholeFoods diapers since they’re chlorine-free and cheaper than the SG ones.

    The 365 diapers are white in appearance, and like the SG diapers, are of the no-frill variety. The first thing I noticed when I pulled the first diaper from its package was that the diapers were STIFF. I have never come across a diaper as crunchy (and not the good kind of crunchy) as the 365 diapers. Their feel and texture made me nervous. I was sure we were going to have some big leaks simply because the diaper seemed unable to meet the contours of Jude’s body. Luckily, we didn’t. More on that in a bit.

    The size 4 diapers we bought seemed a fair amount larger than the size 4 SG diapers. I can’t really recall how they compare to the Pampers we used to use, but overall, I’m really happy with how large they run. The tabs on the 365 diapers are narrower than the tabs on the SG diapers, and there’s more wrap-around material on each side of the diapers. These two features make the 365 diapers easy to fasten on baby.

    Jude has worn a few 365 diapers over the past week, and we haven’t experienced any real leaks. There has been a time or two where some poop has crept nearly out one or both of the leg holes, but that’s been as far as it has gotten. My friend, Nori, started using the 365 diapers right around the same time as we did. She found that the diapers often leaked during day time wear; that is, when her daughter was being really active. She did not experience any leaks when the diapers were worn overnight.

    At this point, I’m not sure what we’ll buy the next time we run out of disposables. I really dislike the stiffness of the 35 diapers, but other than that, we haven’t had a problem with them. Who knows?

    Maybe next month I’ll have a different diaper to review!

    Click here to read my review of Seventh Generation diapers!

  • 17 Aug

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Product Review: Ergo Baby Carrier

    1

    I have been wanting to review the ERGO baby carrier for some time now. After Wednesday’s 3.5-hour stint around Chicago, I was moved to make it the focus of today’s writing.

    Our good friend Helen turned us on the ERGO before Jude was born. She and her husband love to hike, and when their sweet daughter was born, they needed something comfortable and durable to carry her around in on their trips.

    I’ve been carrying Jude in his ERGO since he was about two months old. I would have liked to have used it earlier, but the truth is, I was quite lazy for those first two months post partum. I instantly loved this carrier. It was easy to get Jude into (on my front), it supported his head (though I supported his head manually in those early months as well), it was comfortable, and it felt sturdy.

    At some point in Jude’s early life, I decided to give the back carry a try. I watched the instruction video online, and it looked easy enough. Well, it may be that this mama is the least coordinated of the bunch, but thank God I was trying to get Jude on while hovering over our bed. If I hadn’t been… well, I think he might have gotten a concussion. Head injury aside, once I actually got Jude into the back carry (try number 4, in case you’re wondering), I again found the ERGO to be really, really comfortable. All of the straps are really easy to adjust, and because of the carrier’s design, it’s easy to get your little one close to your body, which makes balancing the extra weigh quite simple.

    Just about 2 months ago, I discovered that the ERGO baby carrier could also be used to support a hip carry! Wow. What can’t you do with this thing? It took me watching the online video a few times to get the straps configured properly, but once I did, it was easy to get Jude into and comfortable to wear. Noticing a trend?

    Wednesday afternoon, at around 3pm, Josh, Jude, and I left our house and headed downtown. I had been wearing Jude in a framed backpack carrier for quite a few months now, but that day opted to wear him in the ERGO We had quite a few stops to make. We walked a bunch, rode a few buses, and took one trip on the L. We arrived home at around 6:30pm, and for the first time in a long time, my back wasn’t killing me. My legs hurt, but I think that’s reasonable considering all the moving I did with an extra 24 pounds (give or take) strapped to my front side. Don’t get me wrong, I really like our framed back pack. It allows Jude to sit up high on my back and get a really good view of what’s going on. It’s fairly comfortable and does a decent job of distributing its/his weight. I like it, I’ll continue to use it, but it really, really hurts my back. I don’t know why it is… perhaps because it’s design doesn’t allow me to get Jude close enough to my body. I really have to work to stabilize and balance myself when I have Jude on my back in it. With the ERGO baby carrier I barely notice that Jude’s there (except for when he pinches my arms. Then I notice him.).

    The ERGO Baby Carrier has a seat belt clip with a safety catch that hooks around your waist and a chest strap that fastens around your chest or across your upper back, depending on what carry you’re using. Both belts, along with the shoulder straps, are easily adjustable. The shoulder straps are nicely padded and don’t slip when adjusted properly. Last I checked, the ERGO was available in a number of different colors. Ours is green and black, and you can see all of the color options and purchase ERGO baby carriers here.

    So, if you’re looking for a versatile, comfortable, durable baby carrier, I would suggest you check into getting an ERGO baby carrier It’s a great way to wear your baby whether you’re on a 10-mile hike or simply unloading the dishwasher!

  • 30 Jul

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Product Review: Seventh Generation Diapers

    0

    Last night we diapered Jude with Seventh Generation Diapers for the first time. We cloth diaper him about 75% of the time and are in the market for a disposable diaper that’s a bit better for him (SG diapers are chlorine-free) for when we’re out and about and for overnight.

    My first impression of the diapers were that they were of the no-frill variety. They’re a cream color and are not adorned with any cartoon character or colorful design. We bought size 4 diapers, and they seem to run a tad small around his waist in comparison with Pampers, which we had previously been using. I found it hard to get the diaper centered on Jude’s body. Josh noticed that, even after all my trying, the diaper was still off-center, so he had a go at it and seemed to have better luck. Additionally, the tabs on the diapers are really wide, making it tough to get them placed properly.

    Jude was in the diaper over night (he doesn’t wake up for a change during the night anymore) and the diaper did not leak. So far, there hasn’t been any noticeable diaper rash that I would attribute to the change in diaper brand.

    I put Jude in another Seventh Generation diaper this afternoon so that his babysitter could take him out without having to worry about the possibility of toting around a dirty cloth diaper. Again, it was hard to get the diaper centered on his body, but we didn’t have any leakage.

    I just read some other reviews of these diapers, and apparently, this is a new design. People seem to agree that the diapers run small and that the large tabs are awkward.

    Overall, I like these diapers. I think they’ll take some getting used to, and I might need to go up a size sooner rather than later, but they seem to be a pretty good fit for our family.