Podee

What's that contraption that Ellerie is sucking on in this photo? Lots of people ask me just that everyday!
It's a Podee ($9). It has been hands down THE best baby feeding product I’ve bought. It allows my daughter to suck down her formula while I do the dishes, run errands, check email, or stroll her to the park. Check it out at: www.podee.com
You can buy them at Babies R Us.
(I submitted a proposal to write an article on this and other fav feeding products for babble.com. I'll let you know if it gets published so you can check it out!)

Fuji Finepix camera

After much looking and product testing at Target, I decided on my new digital camera. The winner: the Fujifilm Finepix z20fd. I am so happy with it after just taking a few random trial shots! Wow! It's a ten megapixel camera and its under $200. Hard to beat. Plus very user friendly. Here's a LINK
Here's just one pic of each girl from tonight's trial run. Oh and I did ZERO editing to these pics...this is how they took (minus i size reduced them to post).

Backpack leash

Recently a friend asked what she could do if her tot wouldn't hold her hand when they got out of the car or walking on a busy road. This is my answer to that: the backpack leash.
Ava knows the rules and even if she's mad she will hold my hand when we get out of the car and when crossing the street. I, however, also use one of those cute backpack harness/leashes when we walk somewhere without strollers or carts if its a busy place. Ava LOVES it. In fact, she asks for "monkey" when getting out of the car! They cost about $10 and are available at Target and Walmart and such places. We like it so much we bought a second one to keep at the house for when we go on walks.
Here's a LINK

Sound machine

Hey ladies, I just got a great find! A new sound machine for Elle's room (now that she is in her own room). It is the best one I've ever gotten and the CHEAPEST!!!!! I am really impressed.
Its the Conair Sound Therapy Sound Machine. It was about $15 at Walmart. It has 10 different sounds and they are great! I love the songbirds one it has a babbling brook in the background. Elle fell asleep in under two minutes to it!
I am so impressed I'm going to go buy another one for Ava! Its way better than the one she has and it cost half as much at least! (LINK to Ava's old machine)
Can you tell I'm excited?

Things to help pregnant moms stay cool in the summer

When I was pregnant last summer in Arizona, I was always miserable and continually looking for ways to cool off (besides taking a shower once an hour). My favorite friend became MistyMate's "Misty 2.5" personal mister ($10 at amazon.com).
This bad boy is slimmer than a baby bottle and about as tall. You can tuck it in your back pocket around the house or in your purse on the go and give yourself a fresh jolt every minute if you want. Another plus – it doesn’t need batteries. You just fill it with a little water, pump it a few times, then you can mist yourself down from head to toe. MistyMate claims that it can cool your climate up to 30 degrees. It’s great for pregnant moms and everyone else. My toddler thinks it’s a special treat to get to mist herself too!
Sound Good? Why stop there! Use the MistyMate in combination with these four other great products for a summer of refreshment:
•Burt’s Bees Lavender Complexion Mist ($10) – This cooling mist has a calming effect, is nourishing for the skin, and can be kept in the fridge for extra zing. Plus it smells great and is 100% natural!
•Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Leg and Foot Crème ($9) – Burt’s Bees comes thru with another winner with this invigorating leg crème especially for pregnant gals. The peppermint oil cools while energizing tired muscles. Can’t beat that.
•Aveda’s Blue Oil Balancing Concentrate ($12.50)– I first tried this when my massage therapist rubbed a few drops into my scalp. It’s a stress-reliever plus is billed by Aveda as “cooling acupressure therapy.” Made with peppermint oil and blue chamomile, it can be used on the scalp, muscles, or anywhere else that needs a little lift.
•Palapa Azul Frozen Fruit Bars – Available at Wild Oats, Whole Foods, and other specialty food stores. These frozen goodies are revitalizing and fill another pregnancy desire – the need to munch on treats. They are all natural and come in a variety of refreshingly fun flavors, including: Watermelon, Mango, and Cucumber-Chile.