The Armadillo Tales

We All Have It

Well women that is ... well women who haven't reached menopause yet ... well females who have already reached puberty ... well you know what I mean.   I know this is probably too much information type of post but I just thought about how handy this item is because I need one and I don't have one.   In case you can't tell it's called a Pursonal.   The Pursonal holds all of our woman's necessities.   It's made specifically for that time of the month and it holds a good supply of what we need to while we're out and about.   A big plus is that it's crafted using a colorful and delightful fabric, and a velcro closure to secure.     I don't know why more people don't make these as I'm sure women would buy them.

Smart Idea

I wish I ordered one of these Animal Bags from Boon sooner, it's currently out of stock.    It's a stuffed animal storage and seat in one.   Isn't this a fabulous idea?   Now why didn't I think of this?    This plush storage bag has large zippered windows that your kids can fill with presents of the past.    

Photo credit: Boon

Juno Baby Love

Boom Chick Time! (from Juno Baby)

I'm just loving these short clips from Juno Baby. They are so adorable and it keeps my sumo baby pre-occupied and laughing. It makes me want to order their full DVD's. I probably should soon as they are offering a 15% discount. Enter coupon code OQb9M at checkout now through December 25th. Make sure you check out the amusing and playful clothing too.

My Baby has Hip Feet

I recently received a pair of Isa Booties for my little one and I can't say enough about them.    These soft-sole baby shoes are perfect for my baby's feet.   He hasn't had to wear shoes since he was born but now with the weather getting cooler and he's gearing to get mobile, I thought it was an ideal opportunity to try these Isa Booties.   

Isa Booties are easy for mama to put on and difficult for my baby to take off which is a big plus considering he was trying very hard to get these "things" off his feet.   What's great is that because they are not leather, they are machine washable and dryable.  I love the colors and styles, especially the Varsity Stripes.    I think these shoes are so fantastic that I just ordered a couple more pairs!   I chose the Happy Trails and Slate Blue Sporties.    Visit Isa Booties to view their entire collection.

Alex & Jett

I just found one of the coolest shirts for kids courtesy of a fab site called Cool Mom Picks.    The company is called Alex & Jett and they creat personalized graphic t-shirts for boys and girls.   I recently ordered a couple for the armadillo and the princess graphic for a birthday gift.   One of the armadillo's' favorite things are cement mixers.   So you can just imagine how fashion forward he is going to be wearing a t-shirt with the graphic above personalized with his name, birthdate, and place of birth.   Alex & Jett offer fanciful graphics for boys and girls, all in various color patterns.   Check out Cool Mom Picks for a coupon code that will give you 10% off your order till 10/31.

My Light Buddy

This TykeLight Buddy from the fabulous website Sparkability I hope will ease the armadillo's transition from his crib to his big boy bed in his new room.   We're almost done setting up and I think that he should have one of these Buddy lights to help him navigate the darkness for those nights he is looking for mama and daddy.   These buddies are rechargable and last up to 10 hours.    There is an auto on/off switch when these lights are off the charger.  Knowing my armadillo he'll take it off and leave it somewhere for me to "help" him find later.   The TykeLight Buddies come in four different colors, Blue, Yellow, Orange and Green.   You can find them at Sparkability.   I think I'll pick up two, one for the armadillo and one for the sumo baby too.   Can't leave him out as he'll be moving into his own room very soon as well.

Skip Hop Saddlebag

Here's a great product for mamas that I know I can't do without.   This is the Skip Hop Saddlebag.   You simply attach it to your stroller and you're ready to go.   There are three velcro attachments for a secure fit.   I use the saddlebag to store the armadillo's snacks, a pack of wipes, juice boxes, etc ... It's so handy and wasy to use.   This accessory allows me to take some weight off my diaper bag and off my shoulders.

You can pick one up at Let's Go Strolling, a fabulous store run by two fabulous women.   They have a mulitude of colors available.  I have one in the Uptown Stripe and I always get asked what it is and where can I get one.  Nice!

That's My Stuff!

Now that the boys are going to the daycare facility at the gym I have joined the ranks of other mamas in labeling their children's possessions.    I didn't think about it at first till a staff member suggested I label my baby's bottles so there is no mix up.   Of course that makes sense.   I wouldn't want my baby getting another baby's breast milk.   Sorry but yuck.   I started off with a Sharpie marker on one bottle then quickly placed an order at a fabulous site called Mabel's Labels.   

The labels are easily seen and tough.   I ordered the Combo pack for both the armadillo and sumo baby.   The pack comes with a set of sticky labels, iron-on labels, and a set of shoe labels.   So far I've used them on the sumo baby's bottles, bottle bag and the armadillo's lunch pack.   I need to whip the iron out and start putting the iron-on labels on their jackets, socks, bib, etc ... especially when the weather starts getting colder.   

It's a weird feeling at first.   To see their names printed out on labels and adorned on their possessions.   I know it sounds bizarre but it gives me the feeling that my boys exist and are real.  That I can prove that my boys are bona fide just by having a branded bottle.   ...  See I told you it was peculiar.   

But I have to admit that it is a bit exciting.   Every day I think, "Where can I stick a label?".   Fun!

Strolling With a Bit of Style

We've added another stroller to our collection.     It's the Jane Powertwin Stroller.    I was on the lookout for another double stroller because the sumo baby is getting too big to sit in his infant car seat and that makes him uncomfortable, especially when he's in the Graco Duo Glider.   There's very little room for him to stretch those chunky little legs when he's sitting in the car seat and then put in the Duo Glider.   So then I have to take him out of the car seat and put him directly into the stroller seat.  Unfortunately the Duo Glider doesn't have any padding on the sides so it's very unpleasant for the sumo baby to lie back.   I wanted something like the Peg Perego Pliko P3 with its padded sides but it would have to be a double stroller so I could put the sumo baby and his big brother, the armadillo inside.    Enter the Jane Powertwin Stroller.   I've read very good reviews and heard positive raves from other mamas online.   It is also the best selling double stroller in Europe.  You know those Europeans, always so trendy.   There are not that many retailers that carry this stroller but luckily we found an online store that has a showroom in Oakland.   It's called Let's Go Strolling and its run by two wonderful women who were extremely helpful the day we bought it.   

This stroller is a terrific!   It is so easy to manuever that I can do it with one hand.   Both seats recline and have a 5-point harness for secured safety.   The stroller has its pluses and minuses.   I like the easy manueverability, the tandem seating, the padded seats, peek-a-boo canopies, and fold-up ease.   What I wish this stroller had is a bigger basket and a snack trays for both seats.    But I have options to make up for the stroller not having these features, so it's livable.    I was thinking of getting a side by side stroller but decided I couldn't deal with getting through doors and aisels with a wide stroller.   It would be too humbug and since I would deal with this on a daily basis, it just wasn't worth it.   

I love using the stroller and I am glad that we got it in red.   Red is a great color for a stroller.  It stands out and screams class.    It's a good thing I drive a big car as I now have 3 strollers in the back.   I am a mama!

Skip Hop Fan

I am confident that the fact that I own four Skip Hop items qualifies me for being a huge Skip Hop fanatic.   This mama loves her Skip Hop!   I currently have the Skip Hop Expo Diaper Bag, the Skip Hop Pronto Mini Changer, the Skip Hop Saddle Bag, and the newly purchased Skip Hop Dash Diaper Bag (seen above).     I have yet to use the Dash bag but I have used the other three items and love them.   I am currently using my Expo Bag along with the Saddle Bag that I hang on my stroller.   It's a great addition to have so I can put the armadillo's snacks inside.   That leaves me more room in the diaper bag to put the sumo baby's stuff.   I also keep the Pronto Mini Changer in my car for those "Oops someone had an explosion" occassions.   Which by coincidence happened on our way to the doctor's office yesterday.   

The sumo baby had his every-other-day poop and I had to change him in the back of my SUV.   The changer worked great.   The changing pad was long enough to keep the sumo baby clean and the pockets worked great for holding the diapers, etc ...  I also like the print on the inside of the changing pad.   I can store two diapers each for the armadillo and sumo baby, wipes, and disposable bags.   I also attached a hand sanitizer to the handle for what else, clean hands.   

I think I'll switch over to the Dash diaper bag this weekend.  I am excited!   Is that weird?   But I am!    What's also great about the Skip Hop line is that they are made well and very inexpensive.    I think that's what fuels my addiction, the affordability.   Which is the exact reason why I'm looking at the Expo Bag in Charcoal/Red.   Shhhh ... don't tell B-Dad!