Apple & Eve Purely Organics Juice Review

I was sent these juices from Apple & Eve and Influenster for review purposes.  We received a one liter bottle of organic Orange Pineapple juice and one juicebox each of Razzberry Apple Splash, Fruit Punch Burst, and Berrylicious Lemonade.  Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the Orange Pineapple or the Razzberry Apple Splash because my husband apparently doesn't understand that I need to do things like that when I make reviews.

Wiggle is now 22-months-old and was delighted to get juice boxes!  He sucked them right down and thought that they were great fun!

I tasted the Orange Pineapple and the Fruit Punch Burst myself and feel that they are not as flavorful as other juices that we usually buy.  They do, however, have 50% less sugar than most other brands, and I generally water down Wiggle's juice anyway so that he has a lower sugar intake.  Below you can see the ingredients and nutritional facts for Apple & Eve's Orange Pineapple juice.  I was surprised to see that there was carrot juice in it, which is a great bonus because it is a pain in the butt to get Wiggle to eat his veggies!

Braun No Touch Thermometer

Braun No Touch Thermometer

Earlier this month, I was sent a Braun No Touch Thermometer by Influenster to review for you!  I never thought a thermometer was something that I would nerd out over, but, let me tell you, this thing is COOL!  It automatically converts the skin temperature that it reads to the equivalent oral temperature that everyone is used to.  And it's kind of fun to use!  I fully admit to trying to take everything's temp as soon as I opened it.  This thermometer, however, will put out an error message if something is too hot or cold to be a living human.  This product's retail value is $59.99, but right now on Amazon, you can get it for $40.88.

 

 This is what the product looks like right out of the box.  It's very sleek and fits well in my hands, which are of an average size.  The thermometer requires two AA batteries which are included to get you started.  The battery cover is easy to get on and off; the batteries were very easy to install.  Inside the batter chamber is also the switch to change from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

 You can see the little sticker on it, indicating exactly where on the forehead you should be aiming-- on the forehead, right above the center of the eyes.  I tried this out both touching skin, as well as two inches away, and got the same reading every time.  If you are too far away from the subject, the thermometer will prompt you to move closer.  A green readout means that your temp is safe and normal.  Yellow indicates a mild temperature, while red means that the patient is in the danger zone.  The thermometer will make 10 audible beeps if the patient's temperature is above 99.4 Degrees F, which indicates a fever.

Measuring my own temperature with the Braun No Touch Thermometer!

My read out!

Error Message when I tried to get the temp on my couch!

On the right side is the switch to turn sound on or off.

 There are some tidbits to keep in mind because this thermometer goes off of surface temperature.  The thermometer needs to be in the same ambient temperature as the subject for at least 10 minutes before attempting a reading.  There should be no hair or clothing in the way of the scanner, and the subject should be inside for at least 30 minutes before taking their temperature to ensure they are not warm or cold from being outdoors.  If you are trying to take your own temperature, use the touch feature, rather than staying away from your forehead.  Always keep the blue cap on the thermometer when not in use-- this will ensure that the scanner stays clean.

I really love this thermometer a lot.  It's so easy to use, I know that when Wiggle is big enough to figure it out he's going to have fun playing with it!  The ability to turn the sound off is great, as taking a no-touch reading is kind of useless if the beeping is just going to wake your sicko anyway.  Not to hope that my family gets sick, but I can't wait to break this out when they do so I have more excuses to play with it!

Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces

Photo from amberbeata.com

Wiggle started to teethe when he was two months old.  We used quite a lot of teething tablets, but I wanted to try something else that would help him out.  A lot of the teethers I found were too big for him because he was so young.  A couple of moms I know use Baltic Amber as a pain reliever and all you have to do it wear it.  I asked them what they thought of it and they swore up and down that it was one of the best things I could get for Wiggle.  I did some reading up on it to make sure it wasn't one of those "this rock has powers from the moon" type of things.  Some of the sites I used to help me with my research were Mom's Milk Boutique, Momma Bean Stalk, and Allspice Teething, LLC (who also incorporates Allspice into her teething necklaces...check out her site for more info.  This is the kind I plan to get when Wiggle needs a bigger one!).

Why Baltic Amber and not just ANY Amber?  Baltic Amber has been prized for thousands of years as a natural healer.  It is not a stone or a crystal, but, rather, fossilized tree resin.  Baltic Amber is the oldest amber in the world (30-90 million years old!) and contains the highest levels of succinic acid found in nature (3%-8%).  Succinic acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues that has many health benefits.  When a person wears Baltic Amber, the warmth of their body allows some of the succinic acid to be absorbed into their skin.  These necklaces help with pain relief, strengthen the immune system, restore energy, and help to stop chronic inflammation.  I even know some adults who wear them to aid migraine relief and to help their chronic pain.

Wiggle wears his necklace!

 If you've heard anything about "recharging" your Baltic Amber, please know that this isn't true.  Leaving your necklace out to absorb sun or moonbeams doesn't do anything beneficial; in fact, sun can harm your amber.  Your amber does not lose effectiveness over time, either, so you don't need to replace it every 3-6 months (the ones with Allspice do need to be replaced!  Please check out Allspice Teething LLC for more info on that).  You may lose some beads or chips from the jewelry just from normal wear and tear.  There are multiple shades of amber, but they all perform the same.  Having a matte or shiny finish to them doesn't impact their effectiveness, either.  Raw amber will not hold up as well as finished amber.

Your child should NOT chew on the necklace and it should be taken off of their neck for sleeping.  Some people put it on  like an anklet when their baby is asleep.  Make sure to order a necklace that is knotted between each bead and has a baby-safe clasp.  Always make sure that you can fit at least two fingers between your child's neck and their necklace.  Personally, I would recommend getting finished beads in your child's necklace because they are the least likely to have sharp, pokey, or rough edges, or to break. 

I take Wiggle's necklace off of him for sleeping and bathing.  When the necklace needs to be cleaned, just wipe it off with a damp cloth or paper towel and lay it out to dry. If you wear your jewelry to swim or to bathe, it will stretch with time.  The necklace should be worn under clothing so that your baby doesn't realize it's there and it is getting optimal skin contact.

Happy Pain-Free Wiggle Kid!

Since I got Wiggle's necklace, I have used so many less teething tablets!!  There are some weeks when he doesn't need any; sometimes just 2-3 doses a week.  Which is awesome because at our Walmart the tablets are around $10.  Wiggle's necklace cost us $18.99 (with shipping) and came from Amazing Amber Love.  I love that you can get all sorts of different colors and patterns.  The amber is beautiful!  I can't wait to get him the next size up!  I really think that these necklaces do the job.

Wiggle says: THIS NECKLACE IS AWESOME!

What other remedies do you recommend or did you use to help soothe your teething baby?  Leave me a note in the comments!

Beech-Nut Baby Food: Honeycrisp Apples

Beech-Nut

So, Wiggle and I were sent some Beech-Nut baby food to review.  We got Honeycrisp Apples, which are a stage one food, and Pear and Black Cherries, a stage two food.  Wiggle isn't ready to start on stage two's yet, so we've only done the Honeycrisp Apples.  The jar states that there are two servings in it, but Wiggle couldn't eat that much of a solid in a sitting, so we got three out of it.

Beech-Nut Honeycrisp Apples Nutrition Facts

Beech-Nut's foods are all organic.  According to their website, their mission is "to provide honest, real, great-tasting food that's as close to homemade as possible. Because everybody deserves real food. Especially babies."  They are the only baby food plant in the world that is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified and are committed to being good to our environment in all of their processes.

Wiggle was super excited to try this out!  He ate as much as he could, as fast as he could!

Wiggle loves Beech-Nut's Honeycrisp Apples!

I tried it too, once he was done.  It tastes like some pretty good apple sauce!  Personally, I like mine with some cinnamon, but if this came in grown-up sizes, I would probably get some!

Beech-Nut Honey Crisp Apples and Wiggle

Snugglish by Totlings-- Baby Bean Bag Review

www.Totlings.com

In March, we won a baby bean bag for Wiggle.  Totlings asked me to do a review on it, but I would have done one anyway because we LOVE this "Snugglish."  Ours is in Blue Meadows print, but it comes in several nice options. 

Snugglish with the "big kid" non-belting cover.

I thought that I was going to have to give Wiggle some time to get used to hanging out and sleeping on the Snugglish, but he enjoyed it right away!  One of our friends got one recently, too, and it is the only place her little guy will tolerate being that isn't "on the Mommy" (that's every baby's real favorite place!).  While the Snugglish is a bean bag, it is not the super squishy kind that I had growing up; it is very supportive.  I wish that I could get a mattress that felt like this because it is SO COMFY!  The velvety top of the cover is so soft and dreamy.  Seriously, I need a grown-up sized one!

Wiggle's first time on his Snugglish.  As you can see, he's delighted!

As you can see, Wiggle is buckled into the Snugglish, so he can't go anywhere.  Before we use it, I shake the stuffing up into the top and make sure that everything is shaped just so because everything will settle when you aren't using it (can't fight physics!).  In addition to having a great place for wiggle to chill on, the Snugglish also has health benefits.  According to Totling's website, it helps to prevent Plagiocephaly (aka flat head).  Wiggle had started to get a flat spot, which I attribute to how much he likes to nap in his swing.  The Snugglish helped us to correct that because it isn't a hard surface; it cradles and supports his head very nicely.  Totlings also claim that the Snugglish helps with acid reflux and laryingomalacia (the softening of the tissues around the voice box).  Since Wiggle doesn't have either of those problems, I cannot attest to how much it helps them.  This seat is CPSIA certified with the standard consumer safety rating for children's chairs.

Wiggle last night, getting tired and snuggly before bedtime.

The Snugglish comes with two top covers-- one with the belt and one without.  I was wondering where the second one was, so I went exploring!  As you can see in the pictures, there is a white zipper around the top cover.  It was very easy to get off once I realized that the zipper pull was attached to the top cover and not the base.  Underneath it was the belt-less cover.  I like this storage place!  It makes sure that the other cover won't get lost!  The bottom cover can zip off, too.  Totlings takes the zipper pull off of that zipper, though, so that kids can't get into it and potentially eat the microbead stuffing.  If you have a paperclip, you can insert that and use it to unzip.  I didn't have one on hand, so there are not pictures of the inside-- sorry!

With Buckle Seat and Without.

As you can see from my pictures, we have the Blue Meadows print.  The color in my pictures is true and it is actually more teal than blue.  It makes me happy because it's a bit more gender neutral, and I like teal... just sayin'.  The material is all water resistant so that when they inevitable happens, it is easier to clean up.  Totlings advises to just spot clean and line dry.

My only complaint about the Snugglish is that I wish there were buckles on both sides of the seat, instead of just one.  It would make getting Wiggle in and out of the seat much easier.  That's not a very big issue, though, and overall we really love this baby seat!  Check out Totlings and order your own Snugglish at their website (www.Totlings.com) and give them a "like" on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Totlings)!

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Steel City Con - April 2014

Steel City Con is a toy, memorabilia, and pop culture convention that is hosted in the Monroeville Convention Center.  It happens three times each year.  Last year we only made it to the Spring convention, so we hadn't been in a year.  It would seem that this small and unassuming convention suddenly exploded while we were away from it!  At this season's event, they hosted several celebrity guests including Brent Spiner (Star Trek: Next Generation's Data), Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: next Generation's Commander Riker), comic book artist Neal Adams, and Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man).  They have also hosted WWE talent and Star Wars actors in the past, as well as other celebrities. 

When we arrived around 1pm, the line for entry was wrapping around the parking lot!  We have never seen a line for a Pittsburgh convention that long.  We only had to stand in the line for a short amount of time because they had staff members watching for people with disabilities or small children.  We were escorted in and basically got to line-jump (sorry everyone who had to wait!  We really weren't expecting such a crazy line and will purchase tickets online next time!!).  This was really appreciated because, as much as it was a nice day out, Wiggle could easily have gotten sunburn (well, me, too, but I wasn't as worried about me!).

Wiggle, asleep on the way home with his present from Con.

As long as the lines were, the Con was not super crowded and we didn't have any issues with having the stroller take up a lot of space or not being able to get through anywhere with it.  People were considerate and were paying attention to their surroundings.  Wiggle even got to see Brent Spiner when we got his autograph as a birthday present for my boss.  He was really nice and enjoyed having small conversations with the fans.  Overall, his line didn't seem to be ridiculous throughout the day.  Lee Majors was the celebrity with the crazy line for this Con.  My husband needed to get a signature from Travis Love who played Shumpert (AKA the Bowman) on The Walking Dead for his show poster.  He basically was able to just walk right up to him.

I do wish that they had put up more tables and chairs for people to take a break at!  We were lucky and scored a seat at one of the four or five tables they had and only had to share it with two approximately-ten-year-old kids when Wiggle was ready for his bottle.  If there had been more adequate seating, I may have felt more comfortable with breastfeeding.  We attend Pittsburgh Comic Con in the same space every year and they always have more tables set up.  As for those 10-year-olds, they were pretty amusing, but had no parents in sight.  While I wouldn't say that this is a big convention, I still wouldn't recommend letting your kids just walk around it by themselves because they could easily get turned around or miscommunicate to you where they are in the building.  To me, it is the same as allowing your child to wander around the same area's mall unattended.

Wiggle loved watching all of the people at this convention and everyone was really nice to him.  Overall, I would say that this is a convention that is great for all ages!  There were tons of cosplayers, more than I have seen at our local Comic Con, and it made me very happy to see so many people having fun!

Photo Courtesy of Auntie Bren!  Left to Right: Auntie Bren, Mommy, Another Cool Lolita Girl

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Monster Mania - March 2014

 
Monster Mania was Wiggle's first convention!  It was also his first big car ride and first time at a hotel.  We were there on Saturday, March 9, and Wiggle was three-months-old.  Monster Mania is a horror convention that happens three times a year.  Overall, while this is a fun convention, it is not child-friendly.  If Wiggle had been older and we were not nursing, I would have had my parents watch him for the weekend.

Hubby and me with Irone Singleton (T-Dog from The Walking Dead) at 2013 MonsterMania.

 We had been to this con once before in March of 2013 because they had a lot of Walking Dead actors.   This year we went back for the same reason.  This is a very crowded convention, so I opted to take Wiggle in our Ergo and not the stroller.  I spent a couple of weeks getting him used to it, but when it came down to it, he was not very happy in the carrier and spent most of the time in our arms instead.  I also was kind of nervous having him in the Ergo because people at this convention are not really paying attention to their surroundings.  I had him encircled with my arms to make sure no one was going to whack him.  Monster Mania is a very busy environment and I can easily see how mobile children could get separated from their parents and become lost.  In addition, there are lots of scary costumes and cosplays and other items... it is a horror convention after all.

Our convention began with a walk.  The parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the convention is held, is not adequate for the amount of people who attend.  We parked probably a half-mile away and walked to the hotel, so wear comfortable shoes!  The lines for the celebrities at this convention are very long.  We were directed outside to wait for Chad Coleman who plays Tyrese on The Walking Dead.  Thankfully, it was the first nice day we had and was around 70 degrees.  Wiggle enjoyed spending time outdoors after the horrible winter we had and got to touch a tree for the first time.  We were kind of disappointed that we couldn't take a picture of Wiggle with Mr. Coleman because we got his signature... it would have been an extra $20.  Last year, the Walking Dead actors took pictures with us (except for Danai Gurira [Michonne] and Michael Rooker [Merle] because they were selling photo ops with them).  I had really wanted a picture with him for Wiggle's baby book, but no dice.

Wiggle and Hubby in line for Chad Coleman (Tyrese on The Walking Dead)

We did nurse at Monster Mania.  This convention is held in the Crowne Plaza hotel and they have a nice big lobby with lots of seating.  We found a secluded spot and Wiggle had lunch and took a nap while Hubby went through the lines to get signatures from Emily Kinney (Beth on The Walking Dead) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zedmore of Ghostbusters).  Unfortunately, I had also left my lunch and my phone with Hubby in our backpack, so I just sat around and people-watched while Wiggle slept because I had told Hubby we'd be in the lobby and didn't want to wander around and lose him.

When we did get to go into the dealer rooms, they were hot and crowded.  Not very many people were paying attention to anything and we were constantly bumped.  In the larger room, it was so hot and crowded that I had to take Wiggle out into the hall and out of the Ergo because he was overheating.  There is no way that I could have gotten a stroller through that dealer room.  It was way too packed and close-cornered.

Hopefully, this review has helped you in your decision on whether to attend this convention or not!  I really don't recommend taking children under the age of 16.  It is simply not a good environment for them.

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Hello!

Hi, Interwebs! I’m Mom’s The Nerd, aka Julia! My son is currently four-months-old. We are from Central PA. He was born in the beginning of December 2013. We like to listen to music and movies (he’s not allowed to watch them yet, but I do!), read books, and go to conventions! Wiggle’s first convention was MonsterMania in Cherry Hill, NJ. It was also his first big car ride, first time staying in a hotel, and his first trip to the toy store, and first time meeting a celebrity (Tyrese from The Walking Dead... we didn't get a picture with him though, because we were already paying for his signature and it cost extra for a photo)!  

With this blog, my goal is to share my adventures in parenting Wiggle, discuss parenting, and to review products and techniques that we try with him (and possible future children).  We look forward to lots of interaction with our readers and hope you enjoy this peek into our life!

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