The Best Sippy Cup on the Face of the Earth

I've been searching for good sippy cups for a long time.  I was pretty happy with the Playtex brand cups until everyone started talking about BPA and wondering if their kids' sippies were safe.  We still have a bunch of the Playtex ones, and they are very leak-proof and probably BPA free too, but I have found that the Nalgene Tritan Grip n' Gulp for kids are now my ultimate favorite.

Why I like them:

They are BPA free

Just like Nalgene's adult water bottles, which I have used for years, they are extremely durable...even when thrown against pavement by angry children

They aren't baby-ish, making them perfect for older kids too.  Your child could use this cup from 12 months until 10 years old.

I can carry 3 sippy cups in one hand while I'm juggling kids or keys in the other, thanks to the little finger loop

They are completely leak-proof

Residue doesn't build up in them like it does in our Playtex cups

Easy to remove valve--and large enough that it's harder to lose

Dishwasher safe

They hold 12 ounces, which means less fill-ups for our extremely thirsty kid

My "oral child" who chews everything to destruction has left tooth marks on her spout but hasn't managed to destroy it or smash it in--it's a very durable spout!

Possible Cons

On the http://www.amazon.com/ reviews, some of the moms said their children couldn't get any liquid out of them.  We haven't had this problem at all.  It does take a bit more suction than our Playtex cups, but I count this as a blessing seeing as how it takes Jeremiah around 6 minutes to drain his 12 ounce Nalgene sippy instead of 1 minute (the length of time it takes him to drain his 10 ounce Playtex).

Some moms don't like that they have to tip the cup up to drink from it.  If you prefer that your child not have to tip their cup up, you can give this sippy a try, which one of my mom-of-4-four-and-under friends highly recommends.  I was going to buy this kind but couldn't bring myself to pay $20 per sippy, knowing my kids would probably lose them the next day if I did.  Also, some moms said the straw pushed their kids' teeth forward so I wasn't sure I wanted them after all.  Someday, when they go on a REALLY great sale I will try them and see if they become my new favorite.

Cost:

You can buy the Nalgene Tritan Grip N' Gulp online from several different places, but ebay seems to have the lowest prices, even after shipping.  They will run you around $8 each after shipping.  Because a local sport and outdoor store here had them for $8 each, I purchased mine locally.  It seems expensive, but I think they are worth EVERY penny.  My kids have used them hundreds of times and they have been the best thing ever for soccer practices and games, picnics to the park or the mountains, church,  taking into restaurants on our long trip to MN and back, and just drinking from all day long.  And in spite of taking them everywhere we haven't lost one yet.....thankfully!  They have 4 colors, which means whether or not we have a boy or girl the fourth child is going to end up with a pink one.  Maybe.

One more thing: Most pics online show a sideview that leaves you wondering if they have a pointed spout that is uncomfortable for the child.  The spout is not pointed, but rather very similar to the Playtex sippy spouts.  This is a blurry shot of Justus' cup.

What a Blessing!

Some of you will remember that

one of my goals for 2010 was to buy a gallon of coconut oil.

It wouldn't have happened for a while if it had been up to me.

Imagine my surprise when a huge box arrived on my doorstep a month ago!

A special, generous friend, a blogreader who's become somewhat of a penpal friend and whom I greatly look up to was "to blame."

After seeing the movie Julie and Julia,

I feel like Julie, getting surprises from blogreaders!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you who have blessed me with various undeserved things (surprise package, money to go towards a dishwasher, Walmart giftcard, and coconut oil) in the last year!!!

Why The Ergo Carrier is My Favorite!

Jer needs a break from walking

Justus takes his morning nap (sun shade/neck support up)

Jer takes a quick nap just before lunch

Sun shade up (he's a little crooked here, I adjusted him after taking this pic)

Some of Mrs. Jo's Current Favorite Products--Fine Things Indeed

This is one of my new favorite baby products! I never had one for my other children but I sure wish I had! You can chop up fruits and veggies, soft meats, cheese cubes, or even put cheerios in it and it allows baby to feed himself. For someone who does NOT like to spoon-feed babies baby food and get pureed carrots spit in their face, this handy little tool is a Mommy's best friend. Some folks put popsicle or ice chips in it for teething relief too. You can find them in almost any store these days and they cost around $6 for a package of 2 of them. Justus doesn't need it as much anymore as he eats regular food now but I still use it when I want to contain the mess! It's dishwasher safe and fairly easy to clean by hand if you wash it right away.

This travel bag was a gift from my husband a couple of Christmases ago. On my recent weekend trip I was reminded again how much I love the convenience this bag offers! You can buy them from a variety of companies and in various sizes depending on trip length and family size and they make it easy to find everything you need when getting ready for your day. I keep mine fully stocked with travel-size bathroom items so that the only thing I need to add when packing for a trip is a few make-up items and I'm ready to go in a flash!

Travel Bag

This reed diffuser from Pier 1 is my favorite new product for making my home a haven. I recently visited my sweet Aunt Joanie and admired her newly remodeled and decorated living room. She had several of these reed diffusers around the house and I'd never tried them before. They smelled wonderful! In typical Aunt Joanie fashion, she whipped out a brand new one and gave it to me after I said I liked them! All of my moms' sisters are generous to a fault! =) I took mine home and placed it on the shelf above the kitchen sink and now when I'm doing dishes I smell the lovely, invigorating scent of citrus fig. I like these because they look kind of unique and fun and you don't have to remember to light them or blow them out as you do with candles. I haven't tried any other brands yet but this one doesn't smell heavy, toxic, or artificial but very fresh, natural, and light.

Reed Diffusers from Pier 1

For more on The Finer Things in Life visit here.

My Review of the Ergo

Baby loves his Ergo!
My first day using the Ergo. I was nursing him using the carrier for support right before this pic was taken so that's why he's hanging sideways.
Until about 4 or 5 months Justus will ride with his legs together in a sort of side-saddle pose. When he is bigger, he can spread his legs, one coming out of each side of the carrier. When he has full head support he can ride on my back or on my hip in the carrier.
Grabbing onto his Daddy's shirt while being carried by Daddy.
At the cabin, carrying both of my boys! Jer loved riding in it and thought it was great fun! It was a good way to keep him out of trouble!
Daddy decides to try the carrier. Justus isn't centered correctly. These photos were taken before he realized that the baby's bum needs to be centered at your belly. That's why Justus looks likes he's hanging diagonally. I posted this so you could see the sleeping hood up (it clips to the shoulder straps). It can be used to keep sun or snow off of the baby too.


Well, I've had the Ergo for 2 and a half weeks now and I just can't imagine life without it! It's funny, because I heard all the raving reviews on it and yet I wasn't sure if it would really work for our baby or not or whether we'd end up using it much. That's why it is so awesome that it has a 90 day warranty and a full refund if you aren't satisfied! I have used my Ergo more than I ever dreamed possible and would never want to be without it again! I just wish I had known about it when we had our first two children! Why is it we're finding all the cool products or tricks 3 kids into this parenting thing?

Anyhow, these are just a few of the places/ways I've used the Ergo: on Ali's field trip to the pumpkin patch, at my relatives' cabin in the mountains, on walks, in grocery stores, in Wal-Mart and Walgreens, at church, at a Financial seminar at our church, at Bible Study, at a Ladies' Game Night, in the thrift store, in McDonald's, at the park, at friends' houses, doing chores around the house, sitting and reading, typing on the computer, running to the laundry room and back, etc. etc. King Jo was skeptical about it at first and didn't seem to have an interest in using it. But then one day he gave it a try and saw for himself how content and happy Justus is in it and he was sold. Just yesterday on the phone he was telling his dad all about this new baby carrier we have that is a "magical wonder." Before the Ergo, if I tried to run to Safeway for 15 minutes and left all the kids home, Justus would scream like crazy even if he had just been fed. The other day, i left for an hour to go to the chiropracter and King Jo just wore the baby in the Ergo and he was fine the whole time! Justus has been horribly fussy in the last week (not sure why but he's better today) and sometimes the only thing we could do was wear him. In recent days I'm sure I have worn him for at least 6 hours a day, sometimes more than that. Praise the Lord for the Ergo! Without it we'd have gone insane by now!



If you've ever tried a carrier that took multiple people and 20 minutes to put on, you'll love the Ergo. It goes on as quickly as putting on a school backpack, making it simple to wear your baby for quick tasks like taking out the garbage or running to the laundry room when you don't want to leave your baby with rowdy toddlers. If you've ever had slings that were knotted or homemade and you wondered if they would hold, you will love the Ergo because it always feel secure and safe for the child.



Things I love about my Ergo: You can use it with an infant and then on up to a 40# preschooler. It adjusts quickly to any size from petite woman to very tall man. It's well-padded, light-weight and comfy to wear. It was designed with the mother and baby's spinal support in mind and doesn't strain one's back or neck. I appreciate this since I have a bad neck. It's washable. It's sturdy. It's super easy to get the baby out if they want to be fed immediately or have fallen asleep and you want to lay them down in their bassinet. It comes with a front pocket where I stash a diaper and some wipes and pacifiers for handy access. It comes with a sleeping hood that you can use as a sun-shade or nursing cover or just to support a larger baby's head if they are sleeping in it. I can put this carrier on by myself and yet it's very secure, even when getting the child loaded into it. It has a nifty ring where I can clip my keys on the shoulder. It isn't confining when I wear it. I can sit comfortably, stand comfortably, dance, bend down and get stuff off the floor or even lift my other kids when I'm wearing it.



Nursing Access: Although it is tricky to figure out how to nurse in it, I have learned that if I just unbuckle the shoulder clip (behind my neck) and thus loosen the carrier up considerably, the baby can nurse laying sideways and I can wear one or both shoulder straps loosely to give the baby support so that one hand or both hands are free even while nursing. So, for example, I have been at the stovetop cooking with one hand and nursing the baby. Without the sling, it would be harder to hold the baby sideways to nurse and ensure that he was in the right position and was secure and not about to be dropped. Some women, as shown on the video that comes with the Ergo, can nurse the baby while wearing the carrier normally, with the baby being upright but it doesn't work out for me!



If I ever had a chance to sell or promote this product on my blog I totally would do it! It is the best baby carrier I have ever seen and worth every penny of the $105 it cost. I ordered through http://www.thehomegrownfamily.com/ thanks to a blogreader's tip and I placed the order on a Monday morning and the carrier was in my hands by Thursday afternoon. They also sent a helpful how-to video and lots of pamphlets and brochures and even some of their favorite recipes. They even stocked the Ergo with little business cards so that if I'm out and about at the park and some other mommy wants to know where she can get one, I have cards! The shipping is free and you don't have to pay tax on the $105. It's a great investment in the amount of frustration it will save you as a parent. I especially recommend this carrier for moms of more than one child since it becomes more crucial, with every baby you have, that you have your hands free to deal with all of the needs of your older little ones.

*Note* This review was interrupted by Justus' screaming and so I put him in the Ergo and now I finish writing this recommendation wearing the proof!

Giving an Ergo a Try

I've heard so many of my favorite bloggers raving about the Ergo baby carrier that I decided to give it a try with Justus. He loves the sling, unlike my other kids, and is outgrowing the Snugli carrier and my homemade sling. And I just can't figure out how to comfortably carry my kids in the Guatamalan sling even though the Guatamalan women seem to have no trouble lugging around their preschoolers in it! I have tried a large variety of slings in the past few years and have not found one that is very comfortable both for myself and the baby.

Blogreader KC commented recently on my blog that I should get an Ergo. After researching on it all weekend I decided that she was right and ordered one from a nice homeschooling family she recommended that has an online business: www.thehomegrownfamily.com They processed my order immediately and I can't wait to get it and try it out.

They are pricey, but apparently worth it, and since Justus is my third kid and wants to be held 24/7, I kind of need my hands free to cook, clean, or care for the other kids and need to find a sling that works and works well! The Ergo is supposed to be wonderful for the mother's spine and baby's spine too. It was developed by a mom in 2003 and has started exploding in popularity. You can use it on your hip, on your front, or on your back. We received some money from some family and some friends for baby gifts so that will go toward the Ergo!

Want to see what one looks like? Check out the official site here. Another great site to visit where you can watch an online video on the Ergo is www.myfavoritebabycarrier.com

If you want to give one a try, I would recommend ordering one from the family's website I linked to above since it's the same price as anywhere else on the web, has free shipping, and a 90-Day guarantee. I figure if my baby doesn't like it or I don't use it as much as I had hoped I can return it within a few months and get a FULL refund!

For those of you with gassy/clingy babies, it might be an important purchase for your sanity.
I will let you all know how I like it after I've tested it out for a while. It is supposed to carry kids up to 40 pounds so I can see how it works with all of my kids.

Who are my favorite bloggers who LOVE their Ergos? Tammy, from www.tammysrecipes.com, Crystal, from www.biblicalwomanhood.com/blog and Lindsay, from www.passionatehomemaking.com

New Products

I'm wondering what you all think of these products pictured here. The Burt's Bees blemish stick was on a great clearance for $2.20 and I love other Burt's Bees products I have been given as gifts. I have heard of Emergen-C and wanted to get some to boost our immunity as we're getting over colds and have a big upcoming trip for Christmas. I'd love to hear people's comments on these products if you have used them.