Updates

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Baby Linus is growing like a weed and he’s doing so great! He, Gus, and Elliot are keeping me very busy so I haven’t been able to blog as much, but that’s ok. There’s a season for all things, right? And I’m a stay-at-home-mom for a reason… We’re having rough nights still, but we do … Read more

Baby Giveaway: Britax Baby Carrier

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And the Britax winner is…Jenny! She said, “I would love this, my little guy is heavy!”

Send an email to kelseyatvanillajoydotcom BEFORE TUESDAY to claim your prize. Congrats!

THE PRIZE

One reader will win a Britax Baby Carrier!

MY REVIEW

In the first few months, a baby carrier is an absolute must, and I’ve tried quite a few different kinds with all three of my babies.

Here are some things I love about the Britax Baby Carrier:

This carrier is very easy to get on and off and also very comfortable. It’s also easy to adjust, so having multiple people wear it and carry baby isn’t a big deal.

I love the little zipper insert that raises up the base of the carrier where the baby’s bottom sits – this feature makes carrying a newborn possible, comfortable, and safe because it puts their head up high enough to be out the top of the carrier. (You can see this feature in the picture at the left – the lower base is for bigger babies and the upper one for newborns.)

The light color is great too – perfect for winter and summer babies!

This carrier is another great quality product from Britax!

{Thanks to Britax for sponsoring this review and giveaway!}

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Going Label Crazy with Brother P-Touch

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After getting the big stuff for our newly furnished office, we built more shelves in the closet for more craft and office supplies. I needed more shelf space for all the little stuff that needed to be separated and organized in small containers. I use the same three containers to store most everything – 2.5 … Read more

Office Makeover with IKEA: The Life Improvement Store

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Pin It During this last pregnancy, I spent my nesting months reorganizing, dejunking, and shopping for space efficient and functional furniture. Thank you, IKEA. We live in a 25 year old town home with smallish rooms (some of which are in desperate need of updating, my craft room/office included…new carpet coming hopefully next month!) I … Read more

Baby Giveaway – Summer Infant Slim & Secure Video Monitor

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The Summer Infant winner is Carrie! She said, “My fave Summer Infant product is the video monitor – I think it would ease my curiousity and concern about what the heck my baby is doing when she should be sleeping.”

Send an email to kelseyatvanillajoydotcom BEFORE SATURDAY to claim your prize. Congrats!

THE PRIZE

One reader will win the Slim & Secure video monitor from Summer Infant! ($135)

MY REVIEW

One of my biggest worries about having a third baby has been protecting him from his older, curious, and often mischievous brothers, particularly when he’s asleep.

Solution? Video monitor.

With the Summer Infant Slim & Secure video monitor that we received for review, I can keep my eye on baby at all times, even when he’s asleep alone in his room.

The Slim & Secure monitor is super handy – it’s lightweight, cell phone sized, runs on a 10 hour rechargeable battery, and has great picture (color or B&W-ish night vision) and sound quality. The video turns off after a little while for convenience at night, so it can be used just as an audio monitor if that’s all you need. You can also manually turn off the camera on either the receiver or the camera unit.

There’s a battery icon on screen at all times so you know when it’s time to plug in as well as brightness and sound adjustments right on the receiver unit.

Because the receiver unit is about the size of a cell phone, you can carry it attached to your clothing or stand it up on its own. The connection is secure for up to 350 feet and the 2.5″ digital screen is just the right size for easy viewing.

Here’s a short video for more information:

Knowing I can always see what baby is doing and who may or may not be bothering him puts my mind at ease during the day and at night as well. I love being able to check on him without the risk of waking him up too!

{Thanks to Summer Infant for sponsoring this review!}

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Baby Giveaway – Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat

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chaperone thumb

And the lucky number is… 224!

Mae is our winner and she said, “Why Britax? When I think of child safety and all the brands out there, Britax is the first to come to mind.”

Send an email to kelseyatvanillajoydotcom BEFORE SATURDAY to claim your prize. Congrats!

THE PRIZE

One reader will win a Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat in winner’s choice of color! (MSRP $229.99)

MY REVIEW

britax chaperone infant car seat review

I used to think all infant car seats were pretty much created equally…but that was before I had a really nice one!

Britax sent us the Chaperone to try out and review with brand new baby Linus, and the difference between baby Linus in the car seat and baby Gus in the car seat is night and day. Most babies enjoy car rides and are easily lulled to sleep – Gus cried and screamed CONSTANTLY while in the car, and I am sure it was because the car seat we had was uncomfortable for his little body. Linus is such an angel in the car and almost always falls asleep as soon as we put him in his car seat.

The Chaperone is well padded with high density comfort foam and lots of extra support for brand new infants. There’s a head support that is so slick – there’s a handy mechanism in the back that allows you to move the head support up and down as the baby grows WITHOUT having to take the entire car seat apart.

I love how user friendly this car seat is. Most car seats do require complete dismantling to adjust as the baby grows, and the Chaperone’s adjustment features are so easy to use.

I also love the sun shade – it’s sturdy and will definitely withstand by two “helpers” adjusting it all the time. It comes out to cover almost the entire car seat so baby never has to be in direct sunlight or exposed to wind and snow.

britax chaperone

Another great feature is the little level on the back to make sure the car seat is sitting in the safest position in the car.

Britax_Chaperone_Infant_Carrier_Black_Silver

Other features include

  • True Side Impact Protection
  • Anti-Rebound Bar (on car seat base)
  • Quick Adjust, No-ReThread Harness (my personal favorite)

The Chaperone fits infants up to 30 pounds and is compatible with a whole bunch of strollers, including my Tike Tech jogger!

The car seat releases from the base with a quick pull of a single button handle and it comes with strap cushions to protect baby’s sensitive skin and improve comfort.

There’s also a very convenient height adjustment knob on the base to ensure proper positioning in the car. No rolled up towels or blankets…just a few twists of the knob and you’re set!

The Chaperone has been a bit of luxury in this crazy newborn time. Car travel is so much easier for me and comfortable for Linus which means everyone is happy!

{Thanks to Britax for sponsoring this review and giveaway!}

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