Melissa and Doug Pounding Bench

I've been eyeing this Melissa and Doug Pounding Bench for a while and finally snatched it up over the weekend at ROSS for $11. I'm a big fan of Melissa and Doug toys and I knew Parker would love this one because 1. It's very colorful 2. He gets to push/hit things. I have no doubt that this toy can taking a, literal, beating and will last us a while. Parker is still working on his hammering skills and finds it easier to just push the pegs with his hands. The Melissa and Doug Pounding Bench is also available on Amazon for $16. 

Boredom Buster: Creatology Mega Box of Projects

On Sunday, Tuan went to North Park for the big World Cup viewing party with the guys (yay Germany!) and Parker and I stayed home and had a lot of quality time. The first thing we did was head to Michaels to pick up some projects to work on. It was just our luck that all the Creatology products are currently 50% off and there is a coupon for an additional 25% off all purchases (including sale items). I picked up this Creatology Mega Box of Projects for $12. The first project we worked on was "life on the farm" and I basically handed Parker stickers to arrange on the farm template. I tried to explain where each of the animals likes to play but he had his own ideas about it. This held his attention for about 15 minutes which is about an hour in toddler time.

One project down and 29 more to go. It's a relief to know that I will always have something on hand to do with Parker when we have down time. No play dough making required.

[Gigante]

[He did this when I told him to hold up his artwork]

[Enjoying his art and snacking on pretzels]

[This is now proudly displayed on our refrigerator. A goat in the trees. A horse with a missing head. A chicken on the barn. A mouse in the river.]

UPPAbaby G-Luxe Umbrella Stroller Review

Look who has a new ride!

Check out our new red (they call it "Denny") UPPAbaby G-luxe Stroller. We love our UPPAbaby Vista but sometimes you just need something a little more compact. After researching online and checking out a number of other umbrella strollers in store, we settled on the G-luxe. The biggest selling points for us were
1. it reclines pretty far back and the reclining mechanism isn't cheesy like the Maxi Cosi Kaia.
2. it has a big sunshade + extended shade
3. it maneuvers like a dream
4. last but not last it's only 11 lbs.

We took the stroller on a full day of errands on Sunday and the only  two things I missed about the Vista were the big storage basket underneath and my stroller clips. This is a great little stroller and I can't wait to take it on our first out of town trip!

Available everwhere but we purchased ours at BuyBuyBaby.

Here are some specs from the maufacturer.

Reclining seat gives your child the most comfort for napping or when sitting upright admiring the view

G-Luxe also features an extended SPF 50 pop-out sun canopy for protecting baby against harmful UV rays, tall ergonomic handles for easier pushing, lockable front swivel wheels for extra stability, a no-foot-action required 4-wheel, shock absorbing suspension, rear brakes and 5.5" diameter wheels

There's also an easy access basket and a removable cup holder that can be positioned on the right or left hand side

Lightweight, aluminum frame is elevated in the rear to avoid toe-stubs

Stroller has hand-level folding triggers, folds easily with one hand and stands when folded

Wipe clean

From 6 months up to 50 lbs.

Two-year warranty

Imported

For a comprehensive list of umbrella strollers, check out this great article from Lucie's List.

 

[Parker chillin' in his new Uppababy G Lux stroller. We were out and about this weekend looking for head phones that won't fall out while I run.]

Product Review - Skip Hop, Baby Bjorn and Bumpkin Bibs

Ahh the wonderful world of baby food. Actually right now I think most of the food is just decorating his hands and face but it's progress. We are 3 days into feeding Parker solids and here's what I've discovered about the bibs I ordered.

1. These Skip Hop bibs will probably be my go to for when we go out in public. They are so adorable and fold up into tiny pouches. Perfect for when we are on the go! 

2. The Bumpkins Dr. Suess bib is cute and easy to clean but the graphics are too distracting for P to handle. The colors distract him from trying to eat.

3. The Baby Bjorn bib is the easiest to clean and will probably be the most used when I feed him at home.

Are there other bibs out there that we should try? I've love to hear any suggestions you may have.

Baby Banana Brush Product Review

At Parker's 4 month check up, the doctor looked into his mouth and asked "Have you been brushing his tongue?" It was obvious that I had not been since his tongue was coated in white stuff. WHOOPS. When we got home, I remembered that I had received the baby banana brush at my baby shower and started using it with Parker. He was more than happy to have a fun, squishy thing to shove into his mouth. Now he really likes holding onto the handles and the feel of the silicon bristles on his gums. The banana brush solved the problem of getting rid of the white residue almost immediately and has become part of our morning routine. Of course, you can also use a wet wash cloth but where is the fun in that? You can purchase the Baby Banana Brush for $8.49 on Amazon. Baby Banana also makes a shark and octopus shaped brushes.

Note: There are still a lot of folks who recommend using honey to remove the residue. DO NOT USE HONEY. Honey can be allergenic and increase the risk of infant botulism. It's not recommended that babies have honey until after their first birthday. For more info, click here.

Baby Banana Brushes 

http://www.babybananabrushes.com

July's Citrus Lane Box

Our July Citrus Lane box is here! I'm pretty sure I get more excited than P when the box shows up at our door. For anyone who is still on the fence about whether to subscribe, here is a peek of what we received for Parker's 6 month box (all boxes are customized by gender and age).

[Hello from Citrus Lane!]

On-The-Go from ZoLi (retail $14.99)

Jittering Giraffe from Tiny Love (retail $7.99)

California Baby Travel Set - Aloe Vera Cream and Shampoo and Body Wash 0.5 oz samples

NurturMe carrots, raisin, sweet potatoes NurturMeals (retail $25.05 for 2 count of 8 4oz servings)

Little Buddy Wipes from Me4Kidz (retail $2.49)

Postagram from Sincerely Inc. (retail $0.99 for 5 credits)

July 2013 Citrus Lane Box by marychu on Polyvore

Tiny Love Tiny Smarts Jittering Activity Toy / me4kidz Little Buddy Antibacterial Wipes

Of course, P's favorite item in this box is the giraffe. He is gnawing on it as I type.

It's like Christmas every time a box is delivered and I highly recommend the service. I spend more than the monthly subscription cost on random stuff for Parker every month anyway. The boxes that come are filled with well rated baby products which helps cut back on the time I spend doing research on what to buy for him.