Babes and Kids

3 pieces that go to a sippy cup, 3 more pieces that go to the bottle. Straws, valves, bottle nipples, and more. Doesn't it get old washing them by hand? At the same time, you've probably had pieces melt in the dishwasher or had the problem of them not getting washed well enough. You are nodding your head as you read this, right? The Munchkin Dishwasher Basket attempts to solve this problem for us.

Pros: This is basically a basket that you put in the top rack of your dishwasher. The basket opens up and is a great place for your sippy cup valves, nipples, straws, and any other little piece you may have. If you are washing bottle nipples, you actually pull them up through the top and they actually get washed well. Too many times I have washed bottle nipples on the top rack only to find them still dirty, turned on their side with dirty dishwasher water and other junk still in them.  This solves that problem which is so nice! The top has room for 14 bottle nipples and then also has room for other things such as sippy cup lids and valves. There is also a handy straw holder on the side if you have straws you need washed. (The straw holder can be removed)The plastic on this is very tough so it holds up well.

Cons: This does take up some space in the dishwasher, so if you live in an apartment like I do and have a small dishwasher, it's hard to really make room for it. It also makes it awkward when your dishwasher is small and you are trying to unload other cups and bowls from around it.  I've had a few problems getting it open up when it is wet. I like what the product is for but ended up getting rid of ours as it just took up too much space. One day when I have a big new dishwasher, I'd invest in another one of these.

The Bottom Line: Cool product, does it's job.

Price: $4-6

Where to Buy: Amazon, Target

Rating: Great

The First Years Take and Toss not only has sippy cups that I have reviewed before, the have a whole line of products that inexpensive enough to "take and toss"

Good Bites are another mom inspired invention.  How many little kids don't like a crust on their bread?  I could raise my hand on this one as I didn't like them when I was little.  I do now, but it took me time to warm up to the idea.  I remember tearing the edges off my bread many times when I was a child.  With Good Bites, you don't have to do that.  Available in 4 different designs, Good Bites will cut the crust for you.

YoBaby Yogurt is an organic yogurt, specially made just for babies.  

From first looking at the title of this post, you probably aren't sure what to expect. However, when I saw this product and what it was used for, I knew I had to have it. Boon is dedicated to innovative products and anything that makes my life easier is great.

Pros: This is a one handed feeding spoon. There are only 2 pieces. You unscrew the orange part to put baby foods in, and screw it back onto the clear plastic spoon part. This works great with 1st, 2nd and some 3rd baby foods. It also works well with rice cereal that isn't made too thick as the spoon is designed for purees. There is a small hole in the bottom of the spoon to let the food through. All you do is squeeze the orange part and more food is dispensed into the spoon. I like how the spoon is angled so you always have purees ready to come into the spoon part. As many moms know, when your little one is hungry, they want it now. This spoon is great for quicker, less messy eating. It is also incredibly easy to clean and is dishwasher safe on the top rack. It makes feeding time so much cleaner as well. There is also a removable cap that goes on the spoon part which makes this spoon ideal for the diaper bag and eliminates jars and other baby food containers. When you are done feeding baby on the go, put the cap back on, and throw it back in the diaper bag. No messes, I love it. It also comes in pink in addition to the orange.

Cons: I wish I would have found this spoon sooner because it doesn't work with chunky foods. Therefore you can't use it as long as you'd like. The spoon is also a little deep making it somewhat hard sometimes when baby is trying to get all of the food from it.

Bottom Line: Great investment, easy to use, recommended from about 4 months.

Price: $7.99

Where to Buy: Amazon

Rating: Great

Learning to self feed can be a little messy. Ok - so not just a little messy....VERY MESSY. It seems like it has been my destiny to clean the kitchen floor like 10 times a day. With an almost 3 year old who doesn't always "aim" right, and an 8 month exploring self feeding, there's always all sorts of treasures on my floor. I know many moms know this all too well. How about another product to add to that?

Pros: These Lil' Dippers are designed for babies learning to self feed. They are a small chunky utensil that has a soft grip wide handle on one side. On the other side is a hard plastic that resembles a fork without space in between the prongs. It is a nice for teething if anything else. The concept is that the baby will dip the hard plastic part into food and then bring it up to his/her mouth and chew on it - thus helping the self feeding process along. Good concept. It is also great as it helps your baby not to gag themselves as the plastic part is not very long, like they would with a spoon.

Cons: Maybe this is better for older kids, but I assume my child is at the self feeding stage at 8 months as he has mastered his pincher grip. I put a small bowl of sweet potatoes in front of Rowan, a lil' dipper in each hand and observed. He immediately dropped his little utensils and stuck his hands in bowl. Then he held up his fingers and started squishing it through, smiling at the sound it made, and probably at how it felt too. I tried again with him, this time guiding his hand and the lil' dipper down to the puree and then back into his mouth. He seemed to like it, but liked chewing on the lil' dipper more. I had to guide him each time as to what he was supposed to do. The little grooves really don't hold a whole lot either.

So an overall good idea, but not really necessary. I'd rather give Rowan a soft spoon to hold while I am feeding him, and let him chew on that.

Price: $3-4 for a 2 pack

Where to Buy: Diapers.com, Target

Rating: Ok

I first started using these with Chandler. They were hard to find at the time and I only knew about them as my sister informed me of them. It seems like you can find these just about anywhere now.

Pros: The basis of this product is to allow your child to enjoy all sorts of foods without posing a choking hazard. The product design includes a mesh bag and a lid with a rubberized teething ring that snaps shut. They are easy to hold onto and are a good size for little hands. I have put all sorts of foods in these including, bananas, apples, ice, peaches, pears, raw vegetables, and more I'm sure that I can't think of now. It has let my babies enjoy fresh foods without the hazard of choking. It is also wonderful for teething if you put an ice cube in it. You can put this in the dishwasher on the top rack and they hold up fairly well. We are using the same feeder with Rowan that we used with Chandler. They are recommended for use from about 6 months.

Cons: I've heard many people complain that these are extremely difficult to clean. I've also read other reviews that have this complaint as well. I don't think they are that difficult to clean, as long as you do it while the food is still fresh. Of course if you let food dry in it, it is going to be difficult to clean out, I think bananas are the worst. However, if you rinse the bag right after baby is done with it, it is fairly easy clean up. The cap is a little hard to open too, but I would assume that it would be difficult to open as you don't want your baby to be able to open it.

Price: $2.99 - $4.99 depending on where you buy them.

Where to Buy: I've seen these at most retailers and grocers. You can also buy them online at Amazon and Drugstore

Rating: Excellent

Many of you reading this have probably heard of the bumbo seat, have seen one, or possibly own one. I first saw them on the message boards at ivillage, where I post and communicate with a group of moms who have kids born around the same time as Chandler. I was curious, but they sold for $40 so I decided to do some research before I bought one. After a week of looking around, I decided to order one.

Pros: Your baby can sit in this seat from the time they can support their head, so it varies depending on your babies' development. The manufacturer's recommended age is 8 weeks to 12 moths. The bottom of the inside of the seat (where your child actually sits) is lower than the part where your child's legs come out. Because of this design, is is easy for your child to sit up in this seat. It has great back support too and allows your child to use muscles that will help them to sit up later. I used to bowl on a bowling league and would bring the bumbo seat for Chandler to sit in. He was 3-5 months at the time. He was so happy to sit in it and see what was going on. It is made of a durable foam material which makes it extremely light and easy to move around from room to room. It also seems like it would be very comfortable and is easy to clean - just wipe it down. We also have used this for feeding purposes. It is great when you start feeding your child solids but they aren't quite big enough to sit up in a high chair. I know there is a tray also available for $9.95 fits onto the bumbo. It measured 10" in tall and 15" wide and can be used until a child's hips are too big to fit in it. This chair is extremely durable too. We used it with Chandler who is now almost 3 years old and have used it with Rowan, (8 months) Chandler is well over 30 lbs now and when we first got the bumbo out to use with Rowan he wanted to sit it in again. He has done so many times and the bumbo still has held up great. It comes in 5 great colors too! This is also a great seat for children with special needs.