One Moms World Mom Blog - Jen Houck

Baby

Gender Reveal Party – It’s A…..

Time is going so fast. My nephew called me at work last fall to inform me I was going to be a Great Aunt. My excitement filled the air. We are going to have another little baby in the family. The craziness in this is I feel like it was just yesterday that I was rocking my nephew to sleep. We recently went to their gender reveal party. We gathered outside at my parents’ house with our guesses and then the gender was revealed!

Gender reveal parties were not a thing when I was pregnant with M and L. Now, there are all kinds of ways to reveal the baby’s gender. I couldn’t leave the party without a surprise for the mom and dad. This is the baby’s first gift.

Look at that smile on the mom’s face! The Tiny Princess Tales Collection from Tiny Love is whimsical and sweet, while nurturing the 7 Developmental Wonders, a comprehensive set of guidelines to help babies reach various developmental milestones from 0-12 months and enhance baby’s play. The stylish 2-in-1 Gymini Deluxe promotes tummy time and interactive play, utilizing music feedback and engaging lights to boost cognition. The adjustable arches can grow with baby, making it a perfect gift for newborns and infants alike.

I am counting down the days until I get to hold my new great nephew in my arms and watch him play with this gym. It will be a joyous and precious time!

Check out my Instagram for a fun giveaway to win a Tiny Love Gymni Deluxe for the special newborn in your life.

Disclosure: I was provided this sample to share with the new parents. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Review: Safe & Sound® Full Color Video Baby Monitor from VTech

My daughter-in-law is taking the stage today to give her full review. Ashley take it away!

We have been using the VTech Baby Monitor VM333 for roughly 2 weeks and I must say it is the best monitor we have ever used. I was amazed at how quiet the monitor is. There is virtually no air noise as the monitor goes completely silent when there are no other sounds besides ambient room noise. In fact, I often pick it up just to make sure that the sound is working. Other great features include:

• The pan, tilt and zoom feature is great. I have a 15 month old that moves constantly throughout the night. I love that I can change the angle of the camera from the convenience of our bedroom. I was amazed at how I can actually see completely around her room and that the camera does not make any noise while doing so. This feature will become very useful as our daughter transitions into a toddler bed and starts playing in her room on her own more often.

vtech camera review

• Installation is simple. We had the monitor set up within 10 minutes and were able to figure out all the features within another 10 minutes, even without reading the manual.

• The camera can be easily mounted to the wall, but also stands very well on its own on a dresser or nightstand.

• The range is great as my daughter’s room is on the opposite end of our house. The sound is always clear.

Vtech Baby Monitor Camera Review

• The two-way intercom is a feature that is actually useful and doesn’t seem like something that was included as a “junk” bonus. It works well as if VTech made it a point to make this a useful feature.

Cons:

• Temperature sensor: It is always a few degrees warmer than the actual room temperature. While this isn’t a huge deal, I would expect the temperature to be accurate if I were using the alert setting if the room goes above or below a certain temperature. We have used much more basic models that display the temperature accurately.

• Image quality is not HD, but it isn’t much of a negative since we don’t have experience with a better monitor in this price range.

Overall we are very happy with the value this monitor provides and would definitely recommend VTech to our family and friends!

Recap of the key features of the VTech camera:

  • Pan, Tilt, and Zoom: Watch as your little one moves about. The camera pans up to 270 degrees side-to-side and tilts as many as 124 degrees up and down. Need more detail? The camera zooms up to 2x.
  • Multiple View Options: System supports viewing of up to 4 total cameras from one parent unit. Viewing modes include single view (one camera only), split view (cycles through cameras on single view before stopping on split view) and patrol mode (single view that transitions to a different camera every 7 seconds).
  • High-resolution 2.8-inch color LCD: Never miss a smile with the high-resolution, 2.8-inch color LCD.
  • Full-motion video: With up to 25 frames per second, you can see your child’s every move on clear, dynamic video.
  • Automatic night vision: Two infrared LEDs and a low-lux camera automatically detect dim light, providing clear video even in dark rooms.o Talk-back intercom: Sometimes all your baby needs is to hear the sound of your voice. Comfort your infant from any room with the built-in intercom on the portable parent unit.

Join me for a Twitter party to learn more about this amazing product and to chat about general baby and child safety tips!

When: Wednesday, February 18 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #VTechBaby hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Vite: http://vite.io/themotherhood

Hashtag: #VTechBaby

Prizes: During the party, we will be giving away five nursery safety baskets featuring VTech Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitors to randomly selected participants who answer the trivia questions correctly. Prizes limited to U.S. participants only.

Hosts: @TheMotherhood, @TMChatHost, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

This post is brought to you by VTech and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

A Mom’s Review of the BRITAX Marathon Car Seat!

Baby Avery is growing up. She is ready to transition to a big girl car seat. We are very loyal fans to BRITAX, so was thrilled when they sent the Marathon for Avery.

britax marathon review

Product Features:
– Base with SafeCell Technology features SafeCells designed to compress in a crash, significantly lowering the center of gravity and counteracting the forward rotation of the child seat which normally propels the child toward the front seat.

– Integrated Steel Bars strengthen the connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing of the child seat during a crash.

– Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether features a staged-release tether webbing to slow the forward movement, reducing the crash forces reaching the child, and a two-point attachment to minimize forward rotation while anchoring the top of the child seat.

Avery’s mom, Ashley, shares her thoughts about the car seat.

The Britax Marathon is the easiest car seat I have ever installed. I attribute this to the quality materials of the seat and the easy to understand instructions. I love the way the latch anchors slide along a bar to help alternate between rear and forward facing. The belt path installation is usually the most cumbersome part, but with the Marathon even this step was easy. Again, this is because of the well written and well-illustrated instructions. The tether anchor is also a great touch, as we have used car seats in the past with no tether, and it seems as if the car seat has way too much movement, especially if we were to have a rollover accident.

Avery loves this seat, as she has fallen asleep every time we have put her in it. The cushions on the shoulder straps help keep her comfortable instead of rubbing on her neck, and when the straps are tightened she is very secure, yet comfortable. Compared to other car seats that we have used in the past, this is by far her’s and our favorite. The neutral color scheme is also very appealing as this car seat would work for a boy or girl. One of my only minor complaints about the seat is that it’s difficult to tighten and release the shoulder straps while rear facing, due to the awkward angle and tight configuration of the car seat up against the backrest of the vehicle seat. I haven’t seen a car seat yet that manages to avoid this issue, but it would be nice to see in the future.

A checklist of some of our favorite features:

  • Quick-Adjust Harness repositions the harness shoulder height without disassembling the harness straps
  • Side Impact Protection comprised of deep side walls lined with energy-absorbing EPP foam distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head, neck and body
  • Tangle-Free, Five-Point Harness distributes crash forces across the strongest parts of the body and provides a secure fit
  • HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard System) Chest Pads provide resistance to forward movement in the event of a crash
  • 65-pound Weight Capacity for safety and comfort as your child grows
  • Rear and Forward Facing Recline for child comfort and positioning
    High Density Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to gently cushion your child
  • Two Buckle Positions for your growing child
  • Made in the USA with global components

britax car seat review

A happy baby and a happy mom means lots of sweet family travels. Thank you BRITAX!

MSRP (USD): $289.99

Technology Helps Shorten Distance

I don’t know how families did it without technology years ago when they lived miles apart. My heart was so full on our recent road trip because we were able to see family that we don’t get to see very often. One of those family members was our precious grandbaby A. She is so full of an outgoing personality. Immediately when we walked into her school, she greeted us with an ear to ear smile and reached her arms out to us. My cup spilleth over with joy.

We knew she had grown since we are able to connect on Facebook, Instagram and Facetime but still seeing her in person brought tears to my eyes. How did people go months at a time without seeing any pictures or video? I know my heart couldn’t handle it.

As soon as we picked up A and R from their schools, we made our way to Starbucks. Of course, right?! Baby A was loving her Poppy’s Mocha Cookie Frapp.

BabyAwStarbucks

It was time for her bottle but her eyes were only zooming in on the Frapp. No time for the bottle. Our visit was too short and we are counting down the days until we get to be with her for her 1st birthday soon. As we drove away after our visit, it made me so thankful for technology. No matter how busy we get, we need to make more time for family over technology. Essentially, it can help shorten the distance between NC and Florida.

My goal is to at least Facetime two times a month and we share pictures back and forth a few times a week. Milestones can be shared over technology and it is the second best thing than seeing it in person. Baby A was standing all alone, crawling all over and dancing with cute moves when she would hear music. Soon, we will see her walking and running down her sidewalk. Oh time please slow down.

Until we see this cute and adorable smile again…

SweetBabyA

Thank you Technology!

Baby Jogger & Maxi-Cosi Announces Awesome Partnership

Two brands that parents all over have grown to love has partnered together! Baby Jogger and Maxi-Cosi – have teamed up to offer an exclusive travel system.

babyjoggermaxicosi

It was friendship at first sight. While Maxi-Cosi Car Seats already offer the convenience of broad stroller compatibility, this is the first partnership to offer a bundled travel system. Ideal for active parents, Baby Joggers’ City Mini provides urban mobility, while Maxi-Cosi’s Mico is the lightest premium infant car seat on the market, weighing in at only 8.6 lbs.

babyjoggermaxitravelsystem

The Baby Jogger Travel System is available with the Maxi-Cosi Mico Nxt or Mico AP Infant Car Seats for around $489.99- $509.99. The system is available at Diapers.com for either $399.00 or $429.00, depending on the color.

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