How Clean is YOUR Pack-N-Play?

A friend on Facebook posted this pin with the following caption. 

(I can't find the original source)

"How to clean your pack n play.. i saw this on Facebook and decided to make it a pin :-) You fill your bath tub up with the hottest water possible. Mix in a cap of baby laundry detergent (I used Dreft) a splash of vinegar and about a quarter cup of baking soda. Mix and submerge your Pack N Play and the mat. After about 30 minutes, flip them. My water was disgusting at this point! I could not believe how dirty it was! But honestly, how often do you think to deep clean your Pack N Play? After about an hour, I took it outside and hosed it down to remove any of the extra nasty water from the soak. Then left it outside to dry! My Pack N Play seriously looks brand new and any stain that was on it before is gone! I highly recommend this soak! I removed the mat before taking the picture but this is my water! I know, it's absolutely disgusting! But like I said, this soak is the bomb and took care of anything my "daily wipe down" routine was missing."

 

 

I saw that and was disgusted. The pack-n-play we own is a hand-me-down from my Mother-In-Law. She only used it with 1 child, 4 years ago, so I thought, "no way mine could be that bad." But the thought of all that disgusting filth laying in the bed with my baby was enough for me to try my hand at washing it.

 

 Hard to tell in the photo but there was some browning around the rails, where apparently my Bother-In-Law chewed on the edges of the Pack-N-Play. Also the mat had a few stains.

 The top photo is the water before I put in the Pack-N-Play. I added a cup full of Tide Free and Clear (the detergent I use for Little Man), about 1-2 oz of vinegar, and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Turned on the water the hottest it would go and filled it up. 

The photo below is the water after I left the Pack-N-Play soaking for an hour, turning it over half way. The water was NASTY!!!! After I drained as much as I could of the dirty water out, we took it outside and hosed it off and left it to air dry. The frame dried quickly but the mat I left out for 24 hours just to be safe. 

Also these photos are proof of how much better the Samsung Galaxy phone's cameras are, that is why they look like different tubs. I promise they are not. The top was taken by my iPhone 4s and the bottom by Hubby's Galaxy S III and his phone picked up all the yucky stuff that I need to scrub off of my tub. (I edited that out so you could be spared from seeing it)

I highly suggest you trying this out with your Pack-N-Play. I feel so much better letting my baby sleep in a freshly cleaned bed. I think this will have to be done again before we have any other babies. 

**Update: I have said this in the comment section many times, but please check the materials your mat is made with. Mine was made with plastic and I had no issues with mold or soggy cardboard after cleaning. Some apparently are made with thick cardboard and will not work once soaked in the tub. If yours is made of cardboard I suggest hand scrubbing with the solution without getting the mat too wet.

5 Month Favorites

1. Sassy Developmental Play Mat- I got this on Black Friday last year on sale. I wish I would have spent more on a mat with more features, but for the $20 I spent on it, its worth it. We have been using it for months, but he is finally old enough to play with the toys and he loves it. My favorite thing he does is grab the bird with his feet and bring it to his mouth like a monkey.
2. Dexas Ice Cube Tray- I found these at Target and knew instantly they would be perfect for making my own baby food. I love that they are great portion size for Little Man right now, and they come out of the tray so easily.
3. Munchkin Stay-Put Bowls- These bowls are great for mixing cereal in and I'm excited that they suction to the table top for when Little Man's hands get curious.
4. Bumpidoodle Floor Cushions-This is an adorable floor cushion (think bean bag with just stuffing in it). Our dogs try to fight Little Man for it becuase it is so comfortable to lay on. Also it comes in adorable shapes, we have the Dillon Dog, but there are owls, mice, monkeys, elephants, pigs and more.
5. Douglas Dog Sshlumpie- We got this as a gift and I had never seen anything like it. It is a combination of a stuffed animal and a cuddle blanket. It basically looks like a build-a-bear before you add the stuffing. This is Little Man's lovey and he sleeps with it every night. It is so adorable to see him cuddling with it.

4 Month Favorites

4 Months??? How can it be already? It was harder to think of my favorite things this month because I didn't introduce many new things. But I guess these are what I came up with.


1.Baby Einstein DVD Collection-I got this as a gift from one of my showers. I don't want Little Man to grow up watching TV constantly, but low and behold he has figured out what it is. I do however put these in when I need to get something done around the house. For example I put him in the swing, put in the movie and then take a shower. I know that these aren't going to corrupt his mind like Sponge Bob or other crap on TV and the music is soothing to him.
2.Baby Einstein Musical Motion 2-in-1 Stationary Jumper & Entertainer
- I pulled this out a few weeks ago and from the moment I put him in it he has been in love. He's still a little short for it, only one big toe can touch the floor, but he has figured out how to play with the keyboard and he loves the rolling ball. He will sit in there and just giggle for 30 or so minutes at a time.
3. Peg-Pergo Stroller- So this stroller is expensive! I am not a stroller snob I promise, I was given this by a friend since she no longer used it. I love how it folds up so small. Only down side, it's sometimes difficult to fold and it weighs more than I would like. I do love however that the cover goes all the way over so the baby won't get wet in the rain, and that it reclines all the way back so he can sleep in it. It also has a 5 point strap and cup holder for both baby and mama.
4.Bright Starts Take Along Carrier Toy Bar- I got this at a consignment sale for about $3 the other day. I disinfected it and attached it to his car seat. Now when we travel I hear music and rattling in the back seat because he is playing by himself.
5. Baby Lullabies Popular Music Collection- Hubby and I use Spotify (a website where you pay a monthly fee and you can listen and download all the music you like) and I found this album on there. We used it during our road trip to Branson last week and it was a success. The lullabies calm a screaming baby, but they use popular songs so that Mommy and Daddy can enjoy too. There are songs such by Lady Gaga, The Fray, Coldplay and more. We enjoyed playing a game where we tried to guess what song was playing, then continued to sing along once we figured it out. You can buy it on Amazon for $8.99 by clicking on the link. 


Hope this was helpful information.

3 Month Favorites

1. AngelCare Deluxe Motion Monitor- I wrote about this product here. This monitor senses your baby's breaths and sets off an alarm if there is no movement for 20 seconds.
2. Circo Infant Rashguard- We love going swimming, this rashguard is SPF 50 and is a great way to keep the sun off of Little Man's skin
3. Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse- We got this as a shower gift and it is awesome. When you press the belly it glows and sings about 5 minutes worth of songs. We use it for every nap and night time. It soothes him and helps him put himself to sleep.
4. Fenugreek- I got a really bad stomach bug a few weeks ago and got really dehydrated. I tried these herbs and it helped to reestablish my milk supply. 
5. aden + anais blankets- It took me 2 months to get onto the aden + anais bandwagon, but once I bought them I was in love. These are huge and so light weight. They are perfect for summer and get softer with ever wash, which is a huge bonus!
6. Aveeno Eczema Lotion- I love this lotion!! It is super thick and last so long on the skin. I use this for Little Man when he gets dry patches on his skin. I love to put it on him a night, put on his jammies and swaddle him, let it sit on his skin all night and...voila...no more dry skin.


Hope these were helpful! Is there anything I should look for, for the next upcoming month?

Best Baby Apps

It seems like today everyone has a smart phone, everyone but my mom that is, she's still rocking her flip phone :)

I believe that smart phones have helped make me a better parent. Not to say that I couldn't parent without it. With some of the apps I have used over the past year, I have gained knowledge that I would otherwise not know, and also it has made some of my day-to-day life easier.

The following are some of my favorite apps:

My Days-Period and Ovulation This app is great for tracking your periods and ovulation when you are trying to get pregnant. Hubby and I never "tried" to get pregnant we just stopped taking birth control and let it happen when God decided; I did however download this app just so I could track my periods. It estimates when you are ovulating and notifies you. I loved that I could tell my doctor exactly when my last period started so that I could get a true due date for Little Man.

Baby Bump Pregnancy Free This app shows week-by-week progress of your growing bump, as well as information everyday about your baby. You can upload weekly progress photos of yourself as well. My favorite part was the chat forums. There are specific groups that include women having babies the same month as you, or other topics like labor and delivery, trying to conceive and questions for dads.

 Breast Feeding Log I loved this app for the first month of Little Man's life. When you first start to breastfeed it is really hard to remember which side you last fed from, or what time you started. With this app you choose a side and then hit "start feeding" and the "stop" when you are done. It tracks your feedings so you know when you are starting and how long they lasted. Also if you are bottle feeding you can keep track of when you start feeding and how many ounces they took. I never used the diaper and sleep functions for their purpose. Instead I used them to mark when I took my pain medication so that I could make sure I took them on time. After a C-Section you want to make sure you are up to date on the meds.

After about a month I got used to keeping track of stuff on my own so I no longer used the app, but boy did it make life easier!

 Google I use this constantly. Any time I have a question about something, the first thing I do is Google it. I have found tons of advise from other moms, and I have been able to compare products or find answers to some of my "mommy" questions. 

Project 365 I LOVE this app!!! With this app you take a new picture everyday. I use it to take a picture of Little Man. My plan is to make a book at the end of the year so we can see how much he has changed in 365 days. Already it is amazing to see the day-to-day changes.

Instagram Everyone knows about this app, but I use it constantly. It is a great way to quickly edit photos and to link right up to Facebook. You can follow me on instagram here 

 Kidfolio is made by the creators of Baby Bump and does basically the same thing, but is for children birth-12 years old. Everyday they post info on your growing baby and you can take pictures to post on you profile. Also there are chat forums to talk to other mommies with kids the same age.

 Oogababy is a tracker app that tracks your baby's progress. I use it to track his weight and height measurements each month. You can also take pictures with the app as well. If you have other friends using the app you can share information with each other.

 

Zulily is a great site to find boutique quality items for a discounted price. They have items for baby, kids, maternity, women and plus size. I have bought quite a few items from them and been happy with all of the items. 

I hope this helps you Mommies-To-Be or New Mommies. If I find any new ones I'll update, but in the mean time, what are your favorite "Mommy Apps"?

The Best Baby Product I Ever Bought

In the past I have written about baby products that we love, here and here, but for the past month we have been using a product that I wish we would have had in the beginning. If I would have known that it existed during the registry process it would have been on the list.

Angel Care Movement Monitor

The Angel Care Movement and Sound Monitor has been our best purchase by far. It includes a movement board that you put under the crib mattress. When the monitor is turned on it counts the breaths your baby takes. If there is no movement for 20 seconds an alarm goes off to warn you. It also includes sound so you can hear the baby, a night light, and a thermometer to tell the temp of the room with an alarm that goes off if it gets too hot or too cold. But my favorite feature of it is the pendulum that swings back and forth showing breaths taken.
I haven't talked about this on the blog, but Little Man was born with a breathing issue. He can only breath out of one nostril and so it causes a lot of congestion when he is sleeping. I spent the first month of his life with him constantly sleeping in my arms so I could make sure he could breath. This left what little time I had to sleep even more difficult. I was doing some research and came across this monitor. It is mostly used for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), although it is not FDA approved for SIDS prevention. I thought that it would work great for me so I could sleep and know he is safe in his crib.
So far the alarm has gone off a few times and each time I run into the room and he is fine, but I would rather have a false alarm than no alarm at all. In the reviews for this product dozens of families talked about how this monitor saved their baby from suffocation.
This monitor cost anywhere from $80-240 depending on what extras you get (there is an option with video also) but the peace of mind that comes with knowing your baby is safe is worth every penny.
The only thing I would change about the unit is for the sound monitor to stay on when the motion monitor is turned off. You must turn off the monitor when the baby is out of the crib or the alarm goes off because there is no movement. This also turns off the sound feature. In the future I'm sure that I will want a sound monitor for when Little Man is playing in his room by himself but not in bed. I would prefer for that option to stay on while the motion monitor is turned off.  Other than that this is amazing.

So if you are looking for the perfect gift for the next baby shower, or the best thing to put on your registry, this is it.

2 Month Favorites

2 months have passed already since my handsome little man came into the world. He is growing so big and changing everyday. I will have a post with this months pictures soon, but my photographer/photo-shopper (my dad) is out of town till the end of the week.

I do however have this months favorites for you, hope you enjoy.

1. Bumbo Seat-  Little Man finally has enough control of his head to be able to sit in this seat without falling over. We love to put him in it while we eat outside on our patio table. He feels like he is part of the party and bonus Mama can eat with 2 hands!
2. Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather- I love this bath seat because it is so light, adjustable and folds up flat for easy storage or travel. When choosing a bath, I looked at all of the options, I wanted something that would grow with him, but not anything that would take up too much space. This was perfect for us. If you have a large sink it will fit inside as well.
3. Graco SnugRider Classic Connect Stroller- I knew that a stroller was something that would be very important to us. We use it at least 3 times a week if not more. I love this Graco one because the car seat fits right in and it is very light weight and small. I know that they make strollers that fit the car seat and eventually the child can sit in it, but those are so big and bulky and hard to fold. This one folds and opens with one hand and I don't have to worry about waking baby when I put him in the stroller.
4. Similac Advance Powder Packets- I am breastfeeding,but absolutely HATE pumping. So for the times we are some where and I can't nurse him, or for when I leave him with grandparents to watch for a short time, these packets have come in handy. There is no measuring, all you do is add 4oz of water and pour in the powder. This does cost more than buying the can of formula, but since he might get 1 or 2 bottles a week, it is just so much easier to hand Grandma a packet and a bottle and know that he will get exactly what he needs.
5. Custom Ring Sling- I knew that I wanted to be a baby carrier. We own the Baby Bjorn, I am not a fan, but Hubby LOVES it. He loves it so much that he gives him a walk every night with it. I however LOVE my ring sling. I did a lot of research on different types and brands, and even considered making my own. In the end I decided that I wasn't very trusting that I could make it sturdy enough to hold my baby and I got together with Kat and we designed my ring sling (not what is pictured). I chose linen because it is so hot in Kansas in the summer, and a teal chevron cotton accent fabric. Little Man is so in love with this sling. He automatically goes to sleep in it and I love that as he gets bigger I can change the position I hold him.

I hope this was helpful and you will look into some of these products for your family.
Thanks for stopping by,
Jaime

One Month Favorite Products

I follow Jessica at Little Baby Garvin and she explains her favorite products of the month while raising her little girl. I thought this was a great idea so I have decided to start a monthly update of our favorite products. It will be a great way for new or soon to be mommies to add to their registry list and to get first hand advise.

So without further adieu...

1/ Summer Swaddle Me Blankets These are great because Hubby could not figure out how to swaddle with a regular blanket and this fool-proof design allows you to place the baby inside and just wrap them up.
2/ Milkies Milk Saver I found out quickly that when I'm nursing I leak about 1oz from the opposite side. This milk saver allows you to catch all the leakage and save it for the freezer. I am able to save about 4-5oz each day for the freezer without having to pump. 
3/ Homedics SoundSpa On-The-Go Sound Machine Little Man loves the heartbeat sound on this machine. I love that it is portable so we can take it all over the house and it doesn't have to be plugged in.
4/ Boppy Nursing Pillow I used this the most in the first 2 weeks. Little Man has a breathing issue and so he needs to sleep elevated. We placed him in the boppy so he couldn't roll away. I don't use it as much to nurse with as I thought I would.
5/ Nuk Orthodontic Pacifier We tried about 5 different types of pacifiers, and this is the one that Little Man prefers. The nipple flips up and he is able to keep it in his mouth even while he isn't sucking, the other ones would just slip out and he would get upset.
6/Fisherprice Swing I got this swing from a friend, I love the fact that it changes direction, so he can swing front to back or side to side.

What were some of your favorite products for your little one. Any that I should look for in month 2?