Archives for August 2012

Choosing a convertible car seat

August 19, 2012

We’ve gotten tremendous use out of Levi’s Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat, but it’s finally time to move our little peanut into a convertible car seat. (I’ll bet he’s stayed in his infant carrier longer than most babies.) JB and I are currently debating several options, and since they all seem so similar to us, I’d love your thoughts on choosing a convertible car seat for Levi.

Using the 8th edition of Baby Bargains as our guide, we’ve narrowed the field to five convertible car seats. Here are the pros & cons of each as listed in the book:

1. Britax Boulevard 70-G3

Pros: Same as the Marathon (see below), but seat adds height-adjuster knob. Additional side impact protection in headrest.
Cons: Price. Big seat–may not fit into smaller vehicles. EPS foam only in headrest.
Note: This review was for the Britax Boulevard / Boulevard CS.

2. Britax Marathon 70-G3

Pros: Up to 65 lbs. with a five-point harness. Plush pad, EPS foam, same pros as Roundabout.
Cons: Must re-thread harness manually. HUGS harness system gets mixed reviews.
Note: This review was for the Britax Marathon.

3. Britax Roundabout 55

Pros: Excellent features–EPS foam, no-twist straps, can be tethered rear- or forward-facing, easy to adjust harness, double-strap LATCH, nice colors.
Cons: Harness slot a bit too high for smallest infants.
Note: This review was for the Britax Roundabout / Roundabout 50.

4. First Years True Fit

Pros: Headrest pops off for easier rear-facing installation. EPP foam, easy-off pad for hand-washing, affordable price.
Cons: Harness can be hard to adjust when rear-facing.
Note: This review was for the First Years True Fit (C630)

5. Evenflo Symphony 65 DLX

Pros: Excellent harness adjuster. SureLATCH makes for quick and easy installs.
Cons: 40 lb. limit for harness.
Note: This review was for the Evenflo Symphony 65.

Have we overlooked a superior convertible car seat? Do you have any opinions on my choices above? Please leave your comments below!

The O.G. by Lo and Sons: the best bag for planes, trains and automobiles

August 17, 2012

Around the time I was starting to get bored with the diaper bag I had been carrying for the past year, the generous folk over at Lo & Sons sent me one of their O.G. bags last month to try out. With an abundance of interior and exterior pockets and a water-resistant nylon construction, the O.G. seemed to meet my diaper bag requirements: fashionable and functional.

So what did I think of the bag in real life?

… READ MORE!

PSA: catbird stacking ring sale

August 16, 2012

Consider this is a public service announcement!

Get thee to Catbird’s website today or tomorrow to take advantage of their stacking ring sale. I’m obsessed with the look of stacking rings, especially the stack in the above photo. If those black diamonds were rubies (Levi’s birthstone), I would definitely snag one and use it as the foundation of my stack. And by snag one, I really mean that I’d put it on my wishlist and daydream about it while saving up my pennies.

I’m also loving the rings with blue stones on Catbird’s sale page. Oh, how I wish they were aquamarine, which is my birthstone!

{image via catbird’s blog}

Note: This is not a sponsored post! I just really like Catbird’s jewelry.

A quick trip to the Omaha Zoo

August 14, 2012

Last Friday, Levi and I took a quick trip to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, the number one zoo in America, according to TripAdvisor. I’m not kidding when I say quick: We literally walked around for 45 minutes, just enough time to look at the gorillas, orangutans and tigers. Unfortunately, nobody told the tigers that we were coming, and nearly all of the inhabitants of the Cat Complex were asleep!

Levi’s favorite animals to watch were the monkeys swinging in their indoor exhibit (I don’t know if they were chimpanzees or small orangutans). He squealed in delight as they performed acrobatic feats behind glass. Too funny.

I’m pretty sure that the time it took to drive to the zoo, find parking and drive home equaled the 45 minutes we spent inside the park, but it was a gorgeous day in the mid-80s, and I thought it was important for Levi and I to both soak up a little bit of sunshine. I also wanted to take advantage of our family membership more frequently; I see more short weekday visits to the zoo in our future!

Does your little one have a favorite zoo animal?

{all photos taken at the Henry Doorly Zoo on August 10, 2012}

Ideas for toddler photos (13-24 months old)

August 10, 2012

I asked for opinions, and you voiced them! Thanks to everyone who left a comment on the blog or on Facebook yesterday regarding Levi’s 13-24 month photo shoots. There didn’t seem to be a consensus, though; many of you like the idea of using a singular location but dressing Levi in a variety of outfits for the next round of pictures. Others think each monthly photo should document Levi doing something different, perhaps showing off a new skill or favorite toy, in various settings.

Still torn, I decided to seek out inspiration on Pinterest. Here are some collages of more clever monthly baby photos…… READ MORE!