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Active play

7/9/2020

 

Single tunnel foam climber 
​from ecr4kids

Many of you remember my birth story with Calvin. At about 38 weeks, we found our Calvin was breech and I had no fluids left. I was in so much pain at the end of my pregnancy because of this. We scheduled a caesarean section about 3 days later. He was born and the pediatrician and physical therapist had concerns about his neck and hips. We started physical therapy right away and had our first appointment a week after we were discharged with the hospital. We started working on a lot of tummy time and stretches. We were very intentional with how we laid him and the amount of time he had to be at certain angles. Once he was strong enough and started sitting on his own, we worked out crawling, standing and a lot of movement with his legs and feet! 
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​Calvin started crawling really well around 7 months. He just turned 10 months and started pulling up to stand, climb and balance on his feet! He's definitely a fearless little explorer! 

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This single tunnel foam set is perfect for any baby or toddler on the move! Active play at home has been great and much needed since COVID is still around and we haven't been able to join any play gyms or anything. It's so soft and sturdy! It's nontoxic and SO easy to clean off his drool or sticky finger marks! 

Active play is so crucial in a baby/child's life. It allows them to learn what their bodies can do, challenges their minds to become creative, strengthens bones, muscles and brain by establishing connections between them! Not to mention it helps develop their locomotor skills. Children learn best when they can use their whole bodies and stimulate their minds. Active play is great for babies and children because it allows them to move at their own pace and problem solve on their own. 

This foam set has motivated him to climb and work on standing! He's so curious and always wants to get around! It's really helped Calvin develop his hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. He uses his foam set daily and has mastered climbing the stairs! We are working on backing down the ramp or slowly using it as a slide! 
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where to get your own set

You can get your very own ECR4Kids single tunnel climber on Amazon or Target! You can also check out all of ECR4Kids' products on Target here! They have SO many great products for active play, pretend play and more. 

all in one stroller that grows with your family

7/9/2020

 

Joolz Day3

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I love getting Calvin out of the house! It's been one of the few ways we can reset from a tired or fussy day. Recently, the weather in WA has slowly been clearing up and getting somewhat sunny so we've been out on local trails for walks, parks or just a fun stroll out of town. You guys know how much we love our Joolz Aer compact travel stroller, but it just wasn't ideal for our longer walks on trails. With lots of research, we decided to go with the Joolz Day3 in Classic Blue! It's gorgeous and we love it for so many reasons! My all time favorite about Joolz is still the fact that they have a LIFETIME warranty!!!
After extensive research, this video sold me on the fact that we needed it for all of our adventures! Watch how smooth it is and all of the sleek features! We love the clean and soft detailing and fabric! It's definitely as luxurious as you can get for a stroller! 

We ended up getting this stroller, the summer seat and a ton of other accessories that we'll talk more about!
To start, the stroller can be used from birth to 50 lbs! That's going to last you forever!! I mean, that's practically half my weight!! The package includes so many things for the price! 
  • Stroller frame 
  • Seat 
  • Bassinet 
  • Harness 
  • Sunhood 
  • HUGE under basket
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This is one of very very few strollers that we found that the seat sits upright. Many other ones we found had a slightly reclined seat which he hates because he wants to sit completely upright!
​Sometimes we take a long stroll for the day and Calvin can start to get a little antsy. He's 10 months and about 20lbs. I'm a pretty petite mama so holding him isn't an option because he's so heavy and squirms so much! Having a stroller where the seat faces you or out is a must for us now! When he starts to get a little fussy, I flip the seat around and he can face me. This helps calm him down a lot! I can also help give him snacks or toys and make sure he doesn't drop them! 
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The canopy & wheels

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​The canopy is huge and fully adjustable and is a full coverage for your child! I love that the front sun hood can become unzipped if you don't want the full covering. It's very easy and quiet to extend and move. This was something we though about because sometimes Calvin can be easily woken by sounds of zippers or the movement of the canopy. 

The wheels are large enough to be used on all terrain! This was my favorite because we go through a lot of gravel, grass and even sand! The front wheels lock to go straight by pushing down the front. 

Forward facing you or outward facing

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The seat can be easily switched to face either direction. There's 2 buttons you push and lift up. You can switch the seat and click them back in. It's just that simple! We're able to do it in a matter of seconds because it's so easy to line up and click into place! 

The handlebar & folding

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The handlebar is so made of very soft and sleek leather. It's beautiful and easy to push and grip! The handlebar is also adjustable! You can make it a lot longer for taller people. 

Folding and closing the stroller is easy! You push 2 small buttons on the side frame up  and use your thumbs to push down on the silver pieces and fold the frame! It is also free standing! 
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The storage basket below

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The under compartment basket is so spacious! We have a blanket, hip carrier and compact changing pad/wristlet. There's still a ton more space in it, too!

The summer seat!

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Calvin runs really hot super easily so when we found out that there's a summer seat, we had to jump on it. The summer seat is fully ventilated which allows it to breathe during hot days!

Available & compatible accesories

  • Food tray 
  • Car seat adapters
  • Travel bag 
  • Rain cover 
  • Foot muff 
  • Many more!
Stay tuned! We'll update with a few more photos for you guys with how it's closed and some close ups!

​We absolutely love Joolz! All of their products are so sleek and high end. I know they're a bit pricier but you definitely get what you pay for! If you're looking for one stroller that will last, the Day3 is definitely your best bet! It's so soft and sleek!! 

Banana brush baby - life savers

7/3/2020

 

Fun products we've been trying out for teething

I've been on a hunt for different baby teethers for Calvin and other alternatives to safe toothbrushing options. We still use our Nuby sets for morning and nighttime teeth brushing but I wanted something for him to play with that would massage his swollen gums. I've been trying to be intentional with our daily routines and healthy habits so his normal toothbrush is used in the morning after breakfast and at night before bed. He's 10 months and his 6th tooth just broke through. We use our Lil Squish Jelly Fish and Corn on the Cob multiple times throughout the day. 

Lil Squish Jelly fish

This is his new FAVORITE toy! We literally bring it everywhere with us now. He loves that it jingles and is squishy! It's soft, jingles and is a great sensory rattle while being safe for him to chew and play with. I love that there's a little loop at the top so I often put a teething necklace or strap through it and attach it to our stroller so it doesn't fall out of our stroller and get dirty. It's made of 100% silicone so it's easy to disinfect and clean! 
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He just gets the happiest and so giddy when he see his jelly squish! I absolutely love the different rainbow tentacles too! We sometimes put pom-pom balls in the middle and let him pick them out with his little fingers. This helps promote his fine motor skills! 

COrn cob toothbrush

This corn cob toothbrush is so cute! It even has realistic looking kernels and super easy to hold husks. We use this throughout the day and I often put baby safe toothpaste on the tips so he munches and massages his swollen gums. 

I really appreciate that the husks are at the perfect height so that he doesn't hurt himself when he chomps away. There's not a chance that he'll shove it too far back and injure his mouth especially if he's crawling around and falls. 

Since it is 100% food grade silicone, it's easy to clean and even dishwasher safe. But, we normally wash it off and throw it into our sterilizer. 
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Where can you buy baby banana items?

Baby Banana has other items as well that we didn't mention. They also have colored banana teethers, dragons, sharks, and many other teethers. They also sell their own tooth gel with xylitol which is great for babies to swallow! 

You can find Baby Banana items online on their website, Amazon, Target, Walmart and other retailers!

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