I thought I would step back from products for baby for a second and talk about a product for mom!  I’m taking a mom-timeout!  It’s not a secret that I don’t like the cold.  One of the many reasons of my dislike is that Chicago winter weather really does a number on my skin.  I can’t seem to lather up with enough lotion to keep it moisturized. 

I’ve been looking for other products to help my skin and came across sugar scrubs.  Honestly, I had never used a sugar scrub before.  I didn’t know much about it.  But I have to admit, that after I started using á bbi sugar scrub a couple weeks ago, I am addicted! 

I have been using the a bbi scrub in cotton candy and, first, I must say that it smells delicious!  Maybe not so good for when you are dieting because I start to crave something sweet after I use it though.  At the end of my shower, I apply the body scrub to all the areas that I think need a little moisturizing and exfoliation.  I love the fact that I don’t have to re-mix the scrub to keep the oil and sugar combined like with other brands that I’ve heard of.  The scrub is ready to use every time I open the container.  Then I rinse it off.  It leaves my skin literally silky smooth for the rest of the day.  No need for extra lotion – the body scrub is enough.

á bbi (pronounced ah-bee and a combined name of the founder’s two daughters) is a contemporary Southern California company, started with the intent of offering superior bath and body products for the beautifying woman as well as the new metro-male.

Their products are made with natural and organic ingredients with good things like coconut, vitamin E, sweet almond and macadamia nut oils.  Plus, they never test on animals and are a green company by recycling their plastics and packaging and using natural ingredients that won’t hurt the environment. 

These sugar scrubs that I am now addicted to are hand-made in their “secret kitchen” and yet I can understand all the ingredients on the container.  Sugar, oils, honey…yep…I understand them all! 

One funny note about the delicious sugar scrub fragrances:  If I use the scrub at night and exercise the next morning, I start to smell like cotton candy all over again when I sweat.  It’s too funny!  But hey, I would rather smell sweet than just sweaty any day!  Plus, my husband tried the scrub and even though he liked the smell of cotton candy on me, he can’t wait to try the “á bbi man” scrub for himself.

The á bbi scrubs come in 16 oz containers and in 14 different fragrances.  They retail for a pricey $38 but for a luxury that keeps my skin silky smooth, I think it’s worth it!

SHOP á bbi body scrubs

Log in to be entered to win this week’s Baby Gizmo Giant Weekly Giveaway!!  The giveaway is a phil&teds Traveller!

*Winners will be announced on our Baby Gizmo Company Facebook Page!  Plus, you know we’ll be having more fun giveaways on our Facebook page – so why not become a fan and have the inside information!

Did you hear the buzz? Baby Gizmo is having their 2nd Annual Best Pregnant Belly Photo Contest! We know spring is a busy time for moms-to-be and what better way to celebrate all these mamas but to throw a contest featuring the best part of their body – the fabulous pregnant belly! Have just a little bump or a great big giant belly? We’d love to see it! A picture of your fabulous belly could win you a great Mountain Buggy Swift Stroller Package (Stroller & Carrycot) in the color Lime.

How to Enter:

Submit your original pregnant belly photo (no more than 250 KB allowed) to contact@babygizmo.com by 11:59pm CST on Thursday, March 19, 2010. Please include this information with photo submission:

Your Name
E-mail Address
City & State you live in
Phone Number
Due Date

Our Baby Gizmo Judges will pick the best 10 photos to post on BabyGizmo.com for everyone to vote on the winner! That’s right, you can help pick the winner!

Voting will begin on Monday, March 22, 2010 and end at 10:00pm(CST) on April 2, 2010.

Winner will be announced on April 5, 2010.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Baby Gizmo Pregnant Belly Contest

Like the other Valco Baby strollers, we love the fabulous, chic but sporty look of the Matrix. The Matrix sports a large, roomy seat that accommodates even our larger kids. With a weight capacity of 48 lbs, we found that even our 5 year old could jump in for a ride. The seat is 14 inches wide and has a 19 inch seat back and measures 23 inches from seat back to top of canopy.  Our older tester at 5 years old and 43 inches could comfortably sit in the seat without her head hitting the canopy. It has an adjustable, non-padded 5-point harness that has the same great Valco Baby buckle that is easy for mom to do but nearly impossible for kids! Our mischievous testers tried and tried but couldn’t figure out how to get the buckle undone so they had no choice but to stay in their seat.  Love that, Valco Baby!!

The seat sports a baby bumper bar but there is no parent or baby tray, as well as, no cup holders. There is a strap recline but since it is the easy “one touch” Valco recline, it is just as easy to do as our beloved bar recline.  You can recline the seat to any position with one hand including nearly flat for newborns.

In terms of storage, there is a large basket underneath the seat that will hold a large diaper bag or baby essentials. For additional storage, there is a large pocket on the back of the canopy for parent essentials such as a wallet, keys and/or cell phone. Three sides of this storage pocket zip off and can be rolled up to expose a mesh window that allows air to circulate through the stroller, keeping baby cool. We love this feature especially for the summer!

The canopy, complete with mesh peek-a-boo window, is sturdy and rounded to allow for more headroom but isn’t the biggest on the market.  We did find that our little baby legs would occasionally be exposed to the sun causing us to add a canopy extension. Valco does offer an optional zip in sunshade/insect net (it zips to the front of the canopy) that is great option as well.  We do want to note that the canopy has a loud clicking (ratcheting) sound when you adjust it.  The fact that it ratchets forward will keep it in place when it is a super windy day but just don’t adjust it while your little rider is sleeping!

The handle bar is adjustable up and down in 8 positions from 27-41” for taller and shorter parents, which is great. If we had to make one addition, it would be that the handle bar would telescope out as well to keep taller parents with a long stride farther from the frame to prevent extra tall parents from kicking the frame.

The 12” large air filled tires with rear wheel shock absorbers (or suspension) provide a really smooth ride for baby even on rough or rocky terrain. The front swivel wheel can be changed to three different positions: Full swivel (360 degrees) for turning in tight spaces, like stores and busy mall, fully fixed that locks the front wheel straight for light jogs and trails, and 45 degrees for long walks with minimal tight turns. The wheel position can be changed easily with a knob on the footplate.  It also has a one-touch wheel brake bar that is easy to apply and keeps the stroller locked in place.  This brake bar is one of the features that is cheaper on the Matrix than on the TriMode.

The large air-filled tires charge through all kinds of different terrain and give the Matrix great maneuverability. Grass, playground mulch, even snow – no problem! We found it can be used for trails, hiking, running, and just running our errands. While other companies are forgetting to include a tire pump with their all-terrain strollers, Valco Baby gladly includes one with the Matrix just in case the tires need a little extra air.  Thanks, Valco Baby!!

The Matrix basically folds in half into a compact fold, making transporting this stroller great regarding the size. There are a couple steps to folding the stroller but we found that they are easy and quick to do. There is a manual locking strap on the side to lock the stroller closed for transporting. Like always, we’d love an automatic lock but are appreciative at a lock at all. 

Weighing in at 23 lbs, we had no trouble lifting this stroller in and out of our trunks. The rear tires pop right off with a push of the button to make an even more compact package!  It by no means is the weight of an umbrella stroller, but we found it to be in the lower weight range for all-terrain, full-size strollers.  The stroller itself has a 48 lb capacity and a 90 lb capacity with the toddler seat attached.

A great feature of the Matrix (just like the TriMode) is that it works with the Valco Baby toddler seat.  The toddler seat attaches to the front of the stroller for an older child to hitch a ride turning it into a double in no time at all. We found this seat is great for closely spaced siblings when you would like to pass on the huge double stroller. The toddler seat attaches and detaches easily so that you can have the option of a double when you need it and a single when you don’t. Plus, since the seat goes on the front, the stroller stays only as wide as a single, allowing you to navigate through any doorways easily.

Now turning a single into a double stroller sounds great, right?  The Matrix takes it a step further and can be turned into a triple by adding the Valco Baby Hitch Hiker (riding board) for an older child to hop on for a ride.  Talk about growing with your children!!!

Like the idea of a pram?  There is also an optional bassinet that is available for the Matrix (same one as for the TriMode) and we think hands down it’s the nicest stroller bassinet on the market. If you are getting this stroller when you have a newborn, you must consider adding the bassinet. The inside of the bassinet is large and so soft that we wish our own beds were this nice. If we could crawl inside and take a nap, we would. Valco also offers a separate stand for the bassinet to be used at home.

If you don’t want to take it as far as removing the seat to make it a pram, consider the new Valco Baby Husssh Bassinet.  This innovative bassinet inserts directly into the stroller seat to turn the seat into a plush, luxury bassinet. 

Valco also offers optional car seat adapters to use the stroller as a travel system with Graco, Peg Perego, Britax and Maxi Cosi infant car seats. The car seat adapter does go into the same slot as the toddler seat would, so you cannot use the toddler seat and the car seat adapter at the same time.

Other optional accessories for the Matrix are: foot muff, universal cup holder, travel bag, diaper bag, canopy for toddler seat, car seat adapters, zip in sunshade/insect net, and snack tray.

This well designed stroller retails for $375 with the optional bassinet adding another $150. This stroller will definitely last you from birth through your stroller years. 

*Differences between Matrix and Tri Mode:  Tri Mode has a larger canopy, included rain cover, seat headhugger infant head rest, three additional colors, 2 side storage pockets on the basket, different tires, a different brake system, and a $100 higher price tag. 

To watch my full video review of the Valco Baby Matrix, click the video below:

SHOP Valco Baby Matrix

BabyGizmo.com is giving away a Timi & Leslie Baby Jane Bag in their Giant Weekly Giveaway this week!

All you need to do is log in this week at http://www.babygizmo.com to be entered to win! Good luck!  The winner will be chosen on Sunday, March 7, 2010 from everyone that logs in this week!

Log in to be entered to win this week’s Baby Gizmo Giant Weekly Giveaway!!

“We’ve never seen a parent vibrate their child like a bouncy seat and hardly seen one swing a baby around like a swing. BUT, we’ve seen thousands of parents scoop their little ones up in their arms and bounce and sway. And that’s what the mamaRoo does. It moves like you do.”

The 5 unique motions are: 1)  Car Ride  2) Kangaroo  3)  Tree Swing  4) Rock-A-Bye  5) Ocean Wave.

Plus, it has 5 speeds, a seat that reclines, LCD screen that is easy to use, fabric that is removable and washable, MP3 hookup and 6 great colors!  We will be doing a full review (with video) of the mamaRoo in the next couple weeks – so stay tuned!!

To celebrate the launch, 4Moms is giving away a mamaRoo every day, for 60 days! The giveaway starts TODAY (when the product becomes available for pre-order) and doesn’t end until April 30 (when the product launches nationwide). That’s 60 chances to win a $200 product that’s already in high demand. And because demand is so high, the mamaRoo is going to be hard to get when it’s released, but the winners will get their mamaRoos at the earliest available date: ON the nationwide launch date of April 30, 2010!

So, why not enter to win???   To enter, just visit www.4momsonline.com/giveaway. It’s a super-easy sign-up, and you can enter every day.  That’s 60 chances!!

SHOP:  Pre-order the mamaRoo at pokkadots.com

It was announced today that

Building off the success of the original Bugaboo Bee, the compact yet complete stroller known for its sleek design and smooth ride, Bugaboo debuts the new Bugaboo Bee with improved functionalities that will make life on the fly easier for parents.

The new Bugaboo Bee features a height-adjustable backrest that simultaneously adjusts with the sun canopy and 5-point harness to four different height positions; a ground-breaking feature that has not yet been seen on any stroller in the market. The reversible seat has been reengineered with a circular joint system that allows the seat to be easily reversed so the child can either face the parent or the world.

The new Bugaboo Bee is truly an infant-to-toddler system as these innovations allow the stroller to grow with your child seamlessly and comfortably.

Additional upgrades include a height-adjustable handlebar with 10 fixed settings, an improved brake system and a redesigned wheel reminiscent of the iconic Bugaboo Cameleon and Bugaboo Frog.

Further, the adjustable seat is now wider and coupled with the backrest which has been redesigned to mirror the natural shape of a child’s back the new Bugaboo Bee will surely become a kid’s favorite stroller.

Updated accessories for the new Bugaboo Bee include an innovative breezy sun canopy(can now be purchased as a separate accessory) for the warm summer months and a new reversible bamboo seat liner designed for year round use. The new breezy sun canopy provides ventilation and full sun protection with a sun canopy extension and pop out sunshade.

The Bugaboo Bee is available in yellow, red, pink, blue, dark khaki and black.

Don’t forget to refer your friends to BabyGizmo.com!  For each friend that logs in to http://www.babygizmo.com and says that you sent them – you get one entry for the TFK Buggster S drawing!

CONTEST ENDS THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28!!!

Refer 10 friends – you are entered 10 times. Refer 25 friends – 25 entries. You get the picture. The more friends you send our way, the better your chances of winning!  Plus, your friends that sign in also get an entry in the drawing!!!

To read about this prize and check out this great stroller in action, see babygizmo.com’s review: http://www.babygizmo.com/news/tfkbuggsters.php

How to Enter:

It’s simple. Refer a friend to log in to Babygizmo.com between February 4 – 28, 2010.

1. Send your friend to http://www.babygizmo.com.
2. Tell them to sign up and enter your username (the name you use to log in to BabyGizmo.com) in the “Referred by User Name” box. (Sign up link is at the top right of every page of the website or just send them to: http://www.babygizmo.com/reviews/index.php)
3. If they sign up and let us know that YOU referred them – both you and your friend will automatically get an entry into the drawing for the TFK Buggster S.

Winner will be announced the first week of March 2010.

GOOD LUCK!!!