SHOP BabyLegs Sale Bundles

And if the bundles aren’t your thing – if you use the coupon code “KING5” – you will save 50% off everything else (not the bundles!). *This sale ends tomorrow, September 3, 2010.

And some of the leg warmers are never before styles only available in bundles.  Of course, quantities are limited and probably have a sell-out risk!  So, buy fast!!

SHOP All BabyLegs

Since it is raining here in the Midwest today and the East Coast is sure to see their share of rain courtesy of Hurricane Earl, we thought it would be the perfect time to share a great umbrella deal!  And there is no better deal than FREE, right?!  Yep, a free umbrella deal from Kidorable!  Well, you do have to spend $20 to get the free umbrella but with tons of adorable matching raincoats that won’t be hard! 

So, pick out a great raincoat for your child.  Or a pair of fun rain boots.  Or better yet, pick out both!  There are raincoats from ladybugs to fireman to mermaid to pirates.  Kidorable has girls AND boys covered.  Plus, every raincoat that they offer has matching rain boots and umbrella to complete your child’s rainy day look. 

Here’s how you get the FREE umbrella:

1) Go to Kidorable’s Website

2) Add at least $20 worth of merchandise to your shopping cart.

3) Add the umbrella of your choice to your shopping cart.

4) During the checkout process, use coupon code “modfreeumb08” and it will automatically deduct the price of your umbrella!

Happy Rainy Day Shopping!!!  SHOP KIDORABLE! *Free umbrella offer ends September 15, 2010.

The high you get off scoring a deal from a deal a day site is addicting which makes it down right dangerous.  You think the deal sites will help your pocket book but unless you have strong will power that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Start saving a little fun money account for yourself and check out our favorite sites below.  Remember these sites don’t care about your buyer’s remorse so take a deep breath before clicking that mouse.

This is hands down the funniest deal a day site you will find.  Be sure to always read the description because it is guaranteed to give you a laugh.  New deals at midnight (central time) daily.  Also be sure to look out for their woot-offs where new deals are posted throughout the day as items sell out.

GOODS OFFERED:

Kids.woot has a large variety of items from high quality to pure crap.  They sell anything from knock-off silly bandz, to toothbrush sanitizers, to thomas the tank engine, to a Disney toddler bed.  Items are new or refurbished. 

PRICES:

Excellent prices.  Kids.woot prices can’t be beat.  I have yet to find a lower price anywhere online even on clearance or closeout prices.

RETURNS:

Final sale.  No returns.  If your product is defective they urge you to contact the manufacturer not them since they won’t have any replacements in stock.

SHIPPING COSTS:

$5 shipping for everything no matter how large or heavy.

SHIPPING SPEED:

Most items shipped from TX unless its coming direct from the manufacturer.  Not the fastest deal site out there but they do use Fed-ex and you do receive a tracking number.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Credit Card & Paypal

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Quick responses but they really urge their customers to do their own leg work for most problems.  Awesome forum at kids.woot and parent site woot.com that has a wealth of information.

OVERALL:

We love kids.woot for its $5 shipping, excellent prices, and vast amount of products that don’t appear on the rest of the deal sites.

We love the look of babysteals.com.  Its clean and easy to navigate.  New deals are posted every morning at 9am (mountain time) and every so often they post a second deal during the day.  If a steal doesn’t sell out you can buy it from their secret archive page. 

GOODS OFFERED:

Large range of sought after designer items, shoes, and practical baby gear.  All items are high quality.  Have started answering the call for fluff and have offered some cloth diapers.

PRICES:

Sometimes the prices are excellent but after you factor in shipping costs some prices aren’t so great so you should do a quick internet search since you can occasionally find items cheaper elsewhere (namely amazon). 

RETURNS:

No returns but you do have 15 minutes to cancel your order.  Its not much but its better then some of the other sites.

SHIPPING COSTS:

Shipping costs are fair.

SHIPPING SPEED:

Shipping is really fast.  I have received confirmations in a matter of minutes after ordering.  All items ship from Utah from USPS.  Local pick-up available.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Google Checkout

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Quick responses and solutions.

OVERALL:

We love babysteals and kidsteals for their quality baby and kids items now only if they could combine their carts so we could lower our shipping costs.

A one deal at a time site meaning they don’t have more then one deal a day.  Mamabargains.com offers one item at a time until it sells out or everyone loses interest.  If you are looking for a deal on a stroller then this is the deal site to stalk.

GOODS OFFERED:

Boutique items and practical baby gear including strollers.  Always high quality.  A great place to get shoes although the sizes tend to be on the small side.

PRICES:

Good prices.  After shipping is calculated its a good idea to scan the internet because sometimes similar prices can be found elsewhere.  They do have screaming deals on some items that you will not find anywhere else no matter how hard you look.

RETURNS:

Final Sale.  Must contact them within 10 days if you have a defective product in which case they will help you deal with the manufacturer.  Also all items sold on the site have NO warranty.

SHIPPING COSTS:

Fair charges.  Given options between USPS and UPS.

SHIPPING SPEED:

Items are out the door quickly at mamabargains.  Ships from Utah, local pick-up is available.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Credit Card.  No other options available at this time.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Quick responses.  They like to maintain a casual and fun atmosphere but sometimes that comes across as unprofessional and even immature at times. 

OVERALL: 

We love mamabargains for their great prices on the big items like strollers and baby carriers.  When they are selling items in lots of styles and sizes its hard to find the style and size you want quickly which is a problem since you are racing to buy it before it sells out to all the other mamas.

Be sure to check in on this site around the holidays because they feature a “Baby Shower” where they offer a large span of items at the same time.  New deals are posted Monday through Saturday at 8am (mountain time).

GOODS OFFERED:

The usual top quality baby items as well as several cloth diaper brands and accessories.

PRICES:

Excellent prices, can’t be beat elsewhere.

RETURNS:

No returns unless item is defective.

SHIPPING COSTS:

Prices are fair.  If you think the shipping is outrageous be sure to check your cart for items from past sales.  There system doesn’t clear the cart day to day so sometimes this can add to bloated shipping estimates.

SHIPPING SPEED:

Good.  Other sites are faster but items arrive in a timely fashion.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Credit Card and Paypal

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

I have never had to contact them so that should say a lot.

OVERALL:

We love Babyhalfoff for their great prices and because they show the love to the cloth diapering mamas.

-Melissa, Contributor

Advertisement

The sale includes products that Moms-to-be will love including darling felt pillows, and cozy basics like changing pads and super-soft blankets from KC for Kerry Cassill, Plain Mary and Little Giraffe! And that’s not it!  There are adorable hooded towels in huggable shapes like monkeys, bumblebees and ladybugs and much more.

Not a member of this “invitation-only” sale site?  Not a problem because we are inviting you!!  Just use our exclusive link to sign up (it’s quick and easy to do!).

*In order to get these great deals from Gilt: 

1)  visit Gilt’s website here 

2) Log in or sign up (very easy and quick to do!)

3) Click on “Children” on the top bar

4) Click on “Baby Shower Event” and start shopping!!

This hook-on chair can fit tables up to six inches thick!  We used it at the dining room table, the kitchen counter-top and an outdoor picnic table.  In testing we tried to install the chair onto a small bistro table but I was nervous the weight of a child might actually topple the table.  All other installs went beautifully and without complaint.  Remember the chair will only be as stable as the table you hook it to!

The Chicco Caddy comes in navy or red and is made with a nylon fabric that feels and looks like a canvas.  The fabric cleans up pretty nicely with a wet cloth but probably not well enough for self proclaimed clean freaks.  If your lil diner makes a real mess of things you can take the chair apart and throw the fabric into the washer.  Don’t plan on washing the fabric everyday though, taking the chair apart and putting it back together will become tiresome.  Inside the seat is a 3 point harness to keep your baby secure in the Caddy.  The arms can hinge to make for a flat (but long) and easily stowable chair.  The Chicco Caddy hook-on high chair can be used with babies sitting up on their own up to toddlers weighing under 37 lbs.

We love the Chicco Caddy high chair for its flat fold, its easy clean-up and its even easier installation.

SHOP Chicco Caddy Hook-on High Chair

- Melissa, Contributer

BabyGizmo.com is giving away a Mountain Buggy Terrain in their Giant Weekly Giveaway this week!

All you have to do is log in at BabyGizmo.com to be entered to win! Winner will be chosen at random from all the people that log in and/or leave a comment!    Giveaway ends on Sunday, September 5, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. 

To watch our video review of the Mountain Buggy Terrain click here.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

*Plus, you will receive extra entries into the giveaway if you:

1)  Leave a comment below and tell us why you should win this cool travel system for the child in your life! 

2) Comment on Baby Gizmo’s Facebook Page!

3)  Twitter about the contest!  (You need to leave a comment here and let us know you Tweeted it.  That’s 2 extra entries if you do though!  One for the Tweet and one for the comment here!

The Early Rider is a wooden balance bike that is made of birch wood and features “fat boy“ tires, embossed flames and a faux leather seat.  With a bike like this, your child will be the hippest kid on the block!  Believe us, the Early Rider got so much attention everywhere we took it from not only kids but their parents as well.  We were a little taken aback at the number of dads who approached us inquiring about the little bike!  And when our tester set it down at the park, there were always a few kids that bee-lined to the bike to try it out.

So, what is a balance bike, you may ask?  It’s a small, pedal-less bike designed for small kids (2-5 years old) that helps your child learn to balance in preparation to ride a traditional two-wheeler.  No more training wheels necessary when you have a balance bike first!  There are no pedals and kids ride it “Fred-Flintstone style”, walking and jogging along, coasting when they feel like it. The point of the bike is to concentrate on learning to balance; kids can work on gross motor skills and gain self-confidence before throwing in pedaling.

A balance bike eliminates the need for training wheels and we found that our older toddlers learned much quicker how to ride a traditional two-wheeler if they first had a balance bike rather than with training wheels.  Training wheels can take months if not summers to help your child gain the confidence and try to ride a two-wheeler.  Once you remove the training wheels, you may still be looking at weeks and months to master the two-wheeler.  Why?  There is just so much to learn all at once!  Yet, our balance bike riders could master a two-wheeler in weeks and at a younger age because they learned the most important skill of bike riding – balance. 

While the bike isn’t going to teach your child how to ride a bike, it will assist in your child learning how to balance and steer much quicker before they move on to learning how to pedal.  As we all remember, it is quite hard to learn balance, steering, pedaling and braking all at once.  And what is the most important part of learning to ride a two-wheeler successfully?  Figuring out the balance.  You can’t pedal if you can’t balance.  You can’t brake if you can’t balance.  The Early Rider will help your child master the balance first before throwing in all the other elements.  And they will have a blast doing it! 

The Early Rider has an adjustable seat height to accommodate taller and shorter children properly.  The bike also has two choices of steering.  The “restricted steering” setting is designed for little kids and beginners. The “unrestricted steering” setting on the bike also provides an extra 2.5cm of reach as your child becomes more confident on the bike and gives experienced riders the chance to learn to use steering to correct balance loss rather than their feet.

The Early Rider comes in three sizes, for smaller and larger preschoolers and kindergartners. Weighing in at 7 lbs,the “Lite” is the lightest Early Rider available and is made specifically for kids 20 months to 4 years old. The Classic, at 10.5 lbs, is designed for 2-to-5-year-olds and the Evolution is 11 lbs and designed for 3 ½ – 6 year olds. The Lite comes in two colors:  natural and pink.  The Classic is available in natural, pink and blue and the Evolution only comes in natural.  

Our only complaint with the Early Rider is the foam hand grippers on the handlebars.  Since there is no kick stand on the bike, you child is going to throw it down on the ground frequently.  And when they do, the foam hand grippers are going to scuff quite a bit from the concrete.  We would like to see a more durable material on the handlebars that won’t scuff or damage when hitting concrete. 

The Early Rider bike was an absolute hit with our toddler testers and their dads.  This lightweight bike is not only so easy to take with us on-the-go but teaches our kids balance on a bike so that they can ride a two-wheeler unassisted that much faster.  Plus, our testers had a blast on the bike! 

SHOP Early Rider Balance Bike

To watch our fulll video of the Early Rider Balance Bike, click the video link below:

*Thanks to Early Rider for providing us with the bike to review!

Not only is this the first day of school for her but it is the first time that she was riding the big, yellow, school bus.  Nothing is more exciting to a 5 year old (at least in my house!) than riding that fun, yellow bus for the first time!  My daughter was ready for school a half hour early and was pacing by the door anxious for the bus to come.  Five minutes before the bus was to arrive, we went out to the front yard with cameras in hand to document this big moment with pictures.  My big plan was to get a few pictures of her getting on the bus and then again when she arrived home getting off the bus.  That’s the way my scrapbook works, you see! 

So, everything went off without a hitch.  Well, at the beginning. The bus was on time.  The driver was friendly.  My daughter was tickled pink to get on the big bus and be on her way to the “big girl school”.  We waved goodbye and she was off.  I even photographed the giant bus pulling away with my little, baby girl in it.  Sounds all good and perfect, doesn’t it? 

Now, all I did was have to wait the 3 hours for her to return and come jumping off the school bus happy as a clam.  I watched the clock all afternoon so that I wouldn’t be one minute late to be on the front lawn and greet her on her first day.  Shoes were by the door.  Camera by the door.  We were ready. 

I wasn’t quite positive when the bus would actually be dropping her off.  I inquired about the drop-off time at the kindergarten orientation yesterday and was told that they weren’t quite sure exactly when the bus would drop off.  The bus will hopefully leave the school around 3:35pm.  So, the earliest it would be at my door was 3:40pm.  We live very close to the school.  At 3:30, I was outside waiting.  Now, I knew that there would be a few buses going through the neighborhood on different routes from different schools.  Which one was going to be hers?  Well, I didn’t actually know.  I figured the bus that pulled up at the bus stop in front of my house would be hers.  So, I waited.  One bus went by.  Nope, not hers.  Second bus.  Not that one either.  The friendly bus drivers all waved to me as they drove by without stopping.  I’m guessing they realized I was new at this because I had the camera around my neck and started to walk toward every bus that was driving by.  Yep, I am a newbie at this!  I’m standing on the lawn watching bus after bus go by.  A total of 7 buses all looking the same drove by my house.  Hmmm.  I was starting to wonder when she was going to get home.  By now, I had been standing outside for 30 minutes.  I watched as buses unloaded other kids behind my house and down the other streets.  I even watched one stop close to my house and unload what I figured were older junior high kids.  Of all the kids getting off the buses, my daughter was no where in sight. 

I kept waiting.  Now, I’m not a Nervous Nelly parent.  Not in the least bit!  If my child is choking on a piece of food, I’ve been known to say “he’s coughing…he’ll work it out”.  Yeah, not a panicer!  But after waiting for 40 minutes for the bus to drop off my 5 year old safely at home, I was starting to worry.  Hmmm.  Clearly she should have been home by now.  Then the phone rings.  It’s her school.  The conversation went something like this:

”Mrs. Schultz?”

“Yes.”

“This it the secretary at your daughter’s school and I’m sorry to say that there was a bus mix-up today.  Your daughter is now on a bus headed for your home with the principal of the school by her side.”

Silence.

“Ummm.  Excuse me?”  In my head, the conversation was “Excuse me, lady?  You have a bus ‘mix-up’ with my 5 year old on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?  THE FIRST DAY SHE HAS EVER BEEN ON A BUS!?!?!?!”

“What kind of mix-up are we talking about?”

“Well, I’m not quite sure but I assure you that she is on her way right now on the bus with the principal.  They will be there shortly.”

We hung up and in about 30 seconds I could see another bus coming our way.  The bus pulls up and my daughter gets off the bus with the principal in tow.  My daughter is happy but seems a little confused or maybe shook up.  I don’t know why she would be shook up with a “bus mix-up” on her very first day of kindergarten and her first day riding the bus?!?  Hmmm.  Yeah, shook up! 

The principal rushes to me apologizing profusely and says she thought I might need a hug.  She could imagine my worry!  I asked her what the “bus mix-up” was and she said, “Well we had a mix-up.  I’m trying to get to the bottom of it.”  And almost in a whisper, she says “she wasn’t on the list.”

Ummm…excuse me?  Not on the list?  The same list that I saw yesterday when I was inquiring about when the bus would be dropping her off?  That list?  The list that HAD her name on it?  Yeah, all that was in my head again. 

“Oh, not on the list.  So, what happened?”

“Well, I’m trying to figure that out.  It’ll all be fine by Monday.” 

And she hugged me, jumped back on the bus and was off!  Yeah, that wasn’t an answer.  Not on the list.  Well, where the hell was she for the past 40 minutes? 

I did get a bit of the story from my daughter.  Well, as much of a story as a 5 year old that wants a snack will tell you.  From what I gathered from her story is this.  She rode around on the bus and the bus driver dropped all the other kids off but her.  Since she wasn’t on the “list” he couldn’t be sure where she actually lived.  So, even though she knew her address, the bus driver took her back to the school after the route was finished.  When she arrived back at the school, the principal must have freaked out and had the secretary call us and jumped on the bus with her. 

Not a great way to start the first day of kindergarten and her first day on the big, yellow bus.  Hopefully, Monday is better!  Needless to say, I did not get my photo of her getting off the school bus.  I wanted to photograph the principal getting off the bus but was taken aback by the lack of explanation that I didn’t get the photo.

GroVia is the new branding for GroBaby cloth diapers.  Their AI2 is a great diaper and one of our favorites in this household.  The new GroVia AIO though is awesome!!!  This diaper is so easy its daddy-proof and grandparent-proof and even babysitter-proof.  Its one-size meaning it will grow with your child and its an all-in-one (AIO) meaning there is no inserts, or stuffing, or covers needed.  The one con to GroVia diapers are the price but you get what you pay for and right now you can pay 20% less.

How to get the coupon…

Spread the word by sharing this link with your facebook or twitter account.  Then email kim@gro-via.com and tell her how you shared the news (twitter or facebook, best to include a link to your post as well).  No word yet on how long they will be offering this deal.  *UPDATE:  It looks like GroVia will then email you the 20% off coupon code and you will have until September 30 to use it.

-Contributed by Melissa

Hazard: The side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received three reports of the hammock becoming unbalanced, including one report of a two-month old who rolled to the side corner of the hammock and was found crying face down. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall includes MamaLittleHelper Hammocks with model numbers 1010, 1020 and BL222. They have a steel frame and a fabric hammock with a mattress which are connected by a large spring, safety rope and a metal hanger. Model BL222 has a computerized rocker device. “MamaLittleHelper” is printed on a label sewn onto the hammock models 1010 and 1020. Model BL222 does not have a label.

Sold exclusively: Online at www.mamalittlehelper.com from May 2008 through February 2010 for between $100 and $230.

Manufactured in: Malaysia

Remedy: Parents and caregivers should immediately stop using the hammocks and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Contact MamaLittleHelper to receive a free repair kit for hammock models 1010 and 1020. Consumers who own model BL222 should return the hammock to MamaLittleHelper in exchange for a new hammock. There is no repair available for model BL222. Repair kits can also be ordered online at www.mamalittlehelper.com/recall.htm

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact MamaLittleHelper toll-free at (866) 612-9986 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, visit the firm’s website www.mamalittlehelper.com/recall.htm or email the firm at recall@mamalittlehelper.com