I Forget I'm a Mom and Then...

I forget a lot of things.  Eleven months ago I could blame it all on pregnancy brain and now I have to blame it on new mom brain but soon I won't be such a new mom.  There was the time I was pushing the baby in the cart at Target and thought I forgot him at home.  I am that person that leaves their sunglasses on their head and looks for them forever.  One time Nugget was wrapped to my back and I suddenly panicked because I didn't know where he was.  I cannot be trusted to park in a parking garage without my husband or an app that takes me back to the precise location of my vehicle.  My life is in shambles because I basically suffer from mom induced short term amnesia.  Sometimes I even forget I am a mom...but then I have a week like this past week.

The other day I scraped puffs puffs of my white couch.  As I finished scraping the puff puffs off the couch I took a step and stepped on a cookie, or tootie if you are Dufda, that was then ground into my leopard print carpet.  That carpet was a surprising good buy when I was 19 years old considering now it hides a slew of dried up mum mums, rice cakes and of course puff puffs.  I think to myself,"Why do I even know what a mum mum and puff puff are?"

That same day I could not find Nugget and it was very quiet so I started to search through our super small home to find him licking toothpaste that had been dried up on the bathroom floor.  He had his tush in the air and was going to town on that delicious Aquafresh.  While Nugget is having his snack of fluoride and Red dye 30, not Red Dye 40 so we are in the clear, I think to myself, "What has my life become?"  No sooner have I removed him from licking the floor has he found a carrot that is probably 3 years old to munch on.  I don't even bother to retrieve this item from his mouth because compared to the: rock salt, lead based paint chips, hay, clumps of hair, and dog food...a fossilized carrot is at least food based and the lesser of the two evils (the other evil being bitten by his insanely sharp teeth). 

When Nugget isn't trying to ingest everything that he is not suppose to he is compulsively trying to get into the bathroom so he can press the scale button 100 times.  He will fight off Shrek to get to that scale.  Nugget's other compulsive habits?  He must hook his finger in my mouth while he is trying to fall asleep.  He must rip out every single piece of my hair while he in on my back.  As soon as you are not looking he will sprint, I use sprint loosely because he only crawls but I assure you he is fast, to the dog bowl to play in the dogs water and double fist Kibbles n' Bits.  He will one day climb Mount Everest because he loves to scale whatever object he can...then flip out because he can't get down.  When you try to disrupt any of these behaviors, he goes berserk which brings me to...

Nugget cries for the most legit reasons in the world.  Yesterday he cried because I couldn't give him any more Amoxicillin...yes, my child loves antibiotics....yum pink potion.  He cries because the dog barks.  He cries because the dog won't drink from his sippy.  He cries because I won't let him drink window cleaner.  He cries because I won't let him eat the hair out of my hair brush.  He cries because I pretend to cry because he hurt me.  

Things that would make a grown adult cry or get seriously, seriously mad...Nugget thinks are just hilarious.  He wants you to bite his fingers and the harder you bite the funnier it is...how is that fun for him?  Pretend like you are chewing on his keys...hilarious.  Suck on his fat rolls (try that on someone other than a baby...) belly laughs all day.  Bite his butt, so funny he can't breath.

All of these things combined have made me feel very "mom" this week, a feeling I don't' usually have.  As the first of my friends to have children I find myself with no one, other than online friends, to share the random, bizarre and disgusting things that happen in a house when it is occupied by a miniature human.  The moment you have that baby, diaper bags trump design hand bags, sippy cups trump wine glasses (you wish it didn't though), you inherit this whole new set of interest that your friends just do not understand.

What made you feel really "mom" this week?

How we get our 10 a day

Before I met Dufda I cooked, I swear I did.  I even have a bunch of cute aprons to prove it.  Now they get about as much use as 46 pairs of black stilettos I had pre-baby.   I also ate a lot of processed food because it was easy and quick.  Before Dufda met me he never turned on an oven.  I don't even know if he could make an egg.   He had to learn quick since he assumed the role of CEO of the household.  Learn he did.  Dufda actually may be a better cook than me.  Famous Spaghetti, Famous Fried Rice, Famous Chicken....he has them all. One thing that he definitely does better than me is make sure our family is eating whole, real ingredients that grow in the ground or on a tree or live in farm.  He is slightly obsessive about it.  The other day I snuck canned beets into our house and he got legitimately mad about it.  I was basically ruining my salad by placing a canned vegetable among all the fresh veggies.  How dare I?  Don't even try to make Velveeta Mac n' Cheese around him.  He will make you feel so guilty for eating fake cheese that you won't even be able to enjoy how great it taste.

Did you know you are suppose to get 5 servings and vegetables and 5 servings of a fruit a day?  How does you diet stack up against that?

Today I am going to share some super simple ways my family makes sure we are getting our 10  a day.  

1. Just don't buy any crap!  If you avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store you will be able to avoid all the crap that you would buy instead of buying vegetables.  If you don't buy it you can't eat it.

2. Budget.  If you have a set amount to spend, you are more likely to buy food that will serve many purposes, fill you up and taste good.  Our family has a budget of just $75/week for groceries and we are able to eat fresh so you have no excuses.

2. Learn how to make you favorite foods you would normally buy frozen or prepared.  One of my family's favorite foods is chicken fried rice.  Most people would either go to the Chinese place down the street and get take out or buy it in the freezer aisle.  We do neither.  Dufda makes it all from actual ingredients and this way I am able to serve it to Nugget without having to guess whether or not it is good for him.  His taste amazing too!

3. Cook ahead.  If you have to cook every night, it is very easy to turn to something quick to cook that is full of preservatives, salt and crap.  If you cook for two or three days this doesn't become an issue.  Leftovers save you money versus eating out for lunch as well.  Always pack it!

4.  Wash, cut, sort and store.  One of my favorite things to get when I am at work is a salad from Hello Bistro. Hello Bistro is a spin off of Eat n' Park's famous salad bar that offers every option there is.  Sure you are eating a salad but you are paying $9! for that salad and you really don't know what you are getting in terms of freshness and content in the ingredients.

  
Here is what I like to have on hand to make salads and snacks:

• Grapes
• Tomatoes
• Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Green Pepper
• Cucumbers
• Peas
• Carrots
• Corn
• Beets
• Lots of Lettuce

Everything get washed, sliced, diced, taken off the stem and ready to eat.  This will make sure that you have no excuses when it comes to getting your vegetables in.  When it comes time for dinner I can choose what fits the meal and whip up a quick salad.  At night I make myself a huge salad to take with me to work and it keeps me from hitting up a fast food place in the middle of the day.

Now doesn't that look a lot better than a hamburger?  It is obviously much better for you as well.  How do you make sure you get your 10 a day? 

Wordless Wednesday

6 Baby Shower Presents Any Mom Would Love

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase through one of these links I will receive a potion of the sale.

There is nothing I like more than registering for presents...there I said it.  Who doesn't want to pick out exactly what you want down to the color and the print.  I look back and think about registering for a baby and how overwhelming it was.  None of my friends had kids yet so I didn't have anyone to turn to so I just started scanning.  We ended up getting everything we needed even though my registry was all over the board.  My favorite presents, though, were the ones that came from new moms.  They know what you need.  It may not be the fun stuff to buy but they have a little one who has wants and needs.  Those wants and needs are probably much different than what the mothers of grow children remember.

I have come up with some non-traditional shower presents, non-traditional in the sense that there are no stuffed animals or blankets involved.  This is stuff that got used in my house and/or we had to run out with a new baby to retrieve.  If you are pregnant and not an Amazon Prime/Mom Subscriber yet, save yourself the guessing game and sign up now!

ARV: $94

I think there are few things that new parents need more than sleep.  No, this gift won't magically make their baby sleep but it will give them some options.  

• The Sleep Sheep was a life saver and made Nugget take his first nap in the swing.  At 11 months we still use it.  
• Next up is Swaddlemes.  When you have a newborn that you are trying to get a good fit on diapers and not wake up to much you want a quick easy to change swaddle.  We used the blanket but nothing was as secure as the Swaddlemes.  
• The No-Cry Sleep Solution isn't just a how to make you baby sleep book.  It really is understanding of how your baby sleeps to bring light on to why your baby is waking. 
• The Napping House is one of my favorites and I think you will enjoy it as well.  
• Last but not least, the Cloud B Twilight Turtle.  This little guy serves many purposes.  It is a night light, a toy and soother.  Nugget now loves to look at the stars before he goes to sleep. He also enjoys playing with it during the day.

ARV: $50

We really didn't get any toys for my baby shower and were pretty clueless when it came to what would give us the most bang for your buck.  

• Nugget's favorite lovey then and now is the Wub.  You can get them in all sort of animals and they are all stinkin' cute.  The best part?  When this paci drops it doesn't bounce all over and land in a muddy puddle, just falls and stops.  
• The Oball was Nugget's first toy and now we have every toy they make.  It is great for little hands to grab, throw and catch.  
• Indestructibles are books that are made to be chewed, slobbered on, and crinkled.  They can't be ruined and are all washable.  You will understand the importance when all your board books start to look like mice were using them for lunch.  
• Look, Look is great when practicing tummy time with a little baby.  The images are all black and white and Nugget really showed a lot of interest in them.  
• The Sassy Tummy Time Mirror was another toy that helped with teaching Nugget to roll.  He loved staring at himself!  
• Then, of course, links.  You can never have enough and there are so many uses for them.  I don't know a parent who doesn't have a set of these.

ARV: $50

Bath time is our favorite time!  Whenever Nugget is crabby we are able to draw a bath and whatever was making him mad before has totally been forgotten.

• The Ducky Tub was what we went to after Nugget could sit up on his own.  It saves you a ton of water versus filling up the whole tub.  
• His favorite toys are the Nuby Splish Splash Stacking Cups and some plain ole foam letters.  Both of these are great because they can't retain water.  Rubber Duckies get nasty with mold over time so we try to avoid them.  
• The Green Toy My First Tug Boat serves as a water spout as well as a great toy.  
• Finish off the gift with a super cute hooded towel and you are good to go!

ARV: $97

The first couple of weeks after I was handed my new baby he had gas real bad.  We had nothing on hand to remedy it which meant that Dufda had to go to the store and try to figure out what product we needed.  I would have loved to have received all the simple remedies in one gift.  

• The New Parent's Survival Kit has a little bit of everything for those first days when you don't want to leave the house.  
• A must have is the NoseFrida.  It is the ultimate booger sucker and no, the boogers don't' even get close to your mouth.  
• The Zo-Li Buzz saved us in the beginning because we were so afraid to cut Nugget's fingers while doing his nails.  This just files them down and isn't uncomfortable.  
• Boogie wipes are the best smelling snot wipers there are.  I would love if someone wiped my nose with this grape tissue. 
•  A fun going to the doctor book because you can never have enough books.  
• Add in a brush and comb for good measure.

ARV: $80

This is a super practical gift that the mom may not appreciate at the shower but will understand more after she brings home her baby.  

• Gerber onesies in every size will make sure that she at least has back up in the diaper bag and car.  I would stick with short sleeve since it is hard to predict what size they would be in for long sleeve.  
• Socks in every size because you can never have enough baby socks. 
• Gerber Prefolds to use a burp rags.  Yes, cute burp cloths are more fun but when you have a newborn the messes are everywhere and you can never have enough of these.

ARV: $130

Everyone seems to forget about the parents at showers.  If you want to go out of the box a bit, buy for the parents and not the baby.  

• Mom can use a cute hospital gown to make her labor fashionable and more comfy.
• Dad can get some cool Daddy Scrubs.  
• Pack a bag for the mom to take to the hospital with toiletries, candy, snacks, and reading material so she doesn't have to remember to get this stuff herself.  Someone did get this for me and I used it up till our first vacation together.  

What is your go to baby shower gift?

Fast, Simple and Healthy: The Baby Bullet

Disclosure: I have received The Baby Bullet in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

If you read along, you would know that we introduced solids to Nugget via Baby Led Weaning.  This did not stop Dufda from wanting to spoon feed Nugget.  He was obsessed with pureeing every food in the house.  Flash forward to this week and I have a sick little baby on my hands that has an awful cough and probably a throat that doesn't' feel so good.  I thought this was a great time to start to introduce smoothies to Nugget.  

We love the Magic Bullet and when I saw The Baby Bullet I thought it was a really cute system.  So what sets The Baby Bullet apart from the Magic bullet or another food processor?

1. The Baby Bullet is a complete food making system.  In the box you will get The Batchbowl for mixing large portions of baby food, the Power Base which fits the short cups of the Batchbowl, Date-dial cups so you know exactly when you made your baby food, Short Cups to make single servings, and Easy Pop Batch Tray so you can freeze your food in serving size.

2. The Baby Bullet is just the right size to make what you need without needing a full size appliance to do the work thus making you not have to wash a full size appliance.

3. The Baby Bullet has a smiley face on it and that make it more fun to puree food than some boring KitchenAid.

4.  The Baby Bullet includes great recipes and how to's to make sure you create yummy food for your little one.

Making baby food is simple and this system makes it even quicker.  I started with the Batchbowl because I had lots of fruit to blend up.  I cut up a pear, some strawberries and added in some yogurt.

You but the lid on and insert the Batchbowl into the Power Base.  It only blends when you push down and will stop when you release it.  You are able to use the spatula that is provided to mix up the fruit to assist in the pureeing.  After it was the consistency that I prefer, it was time to move it into storage containers.  Another combination we blended up was banana, grape and peas....it was really yummy.

We love the little green pouches for on the go and for Nugget to drink smoothies out of.  They are reusable and dishwasher safe!  The Baby Bullet comes with the small storage containers that are sooo cute.  They also keep track of the date that you made the puree because, as a mom, lord knows I can't remember myself.

The Baby Bullet does offer an additional storage technique that allows you to freeze as well.  It will freeze it in just the perfect shape to fit in a Date Dial Cup.  This way you are able to make your baby's food weeks out and just pop it in the microwave when it is needed.

Did you make your own baby food?  Wasn't it much easier than you ever imagined?  Tell me you experience below.

You are able to enter to win a complete Baby Bullet System in the Natural in the New Year Giveaway Hop!  Head over now.

Natural in the New Year Giveaway Hop - Baby Bullet #NaturalNewYear

Disclosure: I have received this product in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.  My Jordanian Nugget is not responsible for shipment of prizes.

Welcome to the Natural in the New Year Giveaway Hop hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network. The New Year always sparks a desire in me to better my life. One of the things that I love to work on is living a more natural life.  I've joined a group of 30 other bloggers that have come together to help you do just that!  Each blog in the linky below has a natural prize to give away worth at least $25!  So, join us all by going more Natural in the New Year!

Babies create situations where there is a lot of waste and with that they also bring lots of opportunity to do things a bit more natural. I try to minimize the waste created by my baby every day. We use cloth diapers and wipes instead of disposables. I use reusable breast pads instead of disposable. When looking for toys, I much prefer recycled materials or long lasting ones that will make for less waste.  

With all the effort I put into my baby having a smaller carbon footprint, it would be silly to not make sure that feeding him was done in the an eco-friendly manner as well, right? There is a lot of waste that goes into feeding babies: jars, pouches, and wasted food. Not to mention most of the baby food out there is extremely processed. I don't put all this effort into breastfeeding to then feed my baby crap when it comes time to introduce solids. One of the best ways to avoid this is to make your own baby food. In this giveaway, I am bringing you the Baby Bullet which helps you do just that! Turn the vegetables and fruit that you have in your house into wholesome, natural baby food. Best part? It is quick and easy! Enter to win one below!

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Now that you've entered my Natural Giveaway, check out the Grand Prize for this Event...

Enter the Grand Prize Here.

Fanny Foozle and the Fantuckle Festival

Disclosure: I have received product unrelated to this post in exchange for the review of this application.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from that of yours.

Nugget is only 10 months old so there is really no need for him to be playing with a phone...no need, yes...does he?  I try not to let him... Anyway.  I do try to have some apps on there when desperate times call for desperate measures.  Sometimes I just need to distract him.  The app I am talking about today is a fun reading app for all ages, Fanny Foozle.

When you open up Fanny Foozle you will be able to choose if you want to read or if you want Fanny to read to you.  We usually pick Read Along because Nugget is still very small.  Fanny Foozle is a wonderful story full of alliteration about the town of Flamboozle and the Fantukle Festival.

Everyone in the town is getting ready for the festival and waiting for the four leaf Fantuckle to bloom.  This flower only blooms once a year and only if everyone in Flamboozle is in a cheerful mood.  The whole town gathers and waits for the flower but it doesn't bloom.  They later find Fanny Foozle is sad because his foodle dog had run away.  Naturally everyone fanned out and searched all of Flamboozle to find the Foodle dog Sam to save the Fantuckle Festival.

The town soon found the foodle dog and got the festival underway.  Everyone is laughing and singing and the Fantuckle bloomed.

Fanny Foozle is great to teach reading and working together to reach a goal.  The colors are bright for little ones and the pictures are simple and easy to follow.  You children can follow Fanny Foozle on Facebook, You tube and Twitter.  The app is available free through iTunes and Android stores and can be purchased for $1.99 in the Kindle Store.  

We are giving away one Fanny Foozle book!  Enter Below!

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5 Simple Toys Your 10 Month Old Will Love

A crazy thing happened right after Christmas.  Nugget started to  play with toys!  He moves the car back and forth correctly.  He can almost stack things.  Over all he is just more interested.  So what is that little Nugget playing with now-a-days?

1. Ikea Trucks

Ikea makes some really great and super affordable baby toys.  They are mostly wood which I much prefer over plastic.

He got this set for Christmas and loves them.  Each piece comes apart and you see that black piece on the yellow truck...that is his favorite.  

2. Uncle Goose Blocks

I was hesitant on buying these.  Who knew if he would like them and I thought they were a little pricey.  We have them in Arabic but they are available in English as well.

We build up towers and house and stock his trucks full of blocks and let him knock them down.  He love it.  They are good quality and have endless possibilities.

3. Y-Bike Pewi

This genius toy is Nugget's main mode of transportation around the house.  It is versatile and easy to use.

I think this will definitely grow with Nugget as he gets better at walking.

4. Play Keys

We have tried several sets but he seems to love this simple set of two keys.

One is soft and spongy and the other hard to give different sensations.  Such a simple toy but he always goes for it.  He also thinks it is HILARIOUS when I pretend to bite the keys.

5.  Melissa and Doug Spinning Penquin

As you can see from the list, Nugget like simple toys.  This one was received in a Bluum Box.  He is totally entertained by it.  He can chew on it, make it into a car or spin the wheels in the middle.

He is easy to please, that's for sure.

What is your baby's favorite toy?

10 months!

Nugget is: 10 months

Nugget weighs: About 22lbs

Nugget is wearing: 18 month clothing.

Nugget's favorite food is: Daddy's famous fried rices.

Nugget's Firsts:

First Sled Ride

First Christmas on the Outside

First Ride down a slide

And Just for Fun!

Nugget has been driving Dufda crazy with his turbo charge life style.  He loves to climb evertyhing.  He is doing great at eating solids and every little thing that the vacuum doesn't pick up off the ground.  It was pretty amazing that Christmas just happened.  I remember this time last year.  I kept thinking about how we would have a little baby running around and I couldn't wait for him to open presents on Christmas morning.  The fantasy is much different than the reality.  Nugget was not even remotely interested in opening presents but he did have fun playing with them after, of course.

How was the holidays with your little one?

Did my Underwear get Smaller or...

Today as I was getting ready for work all I could think about is,"Did my underwear get smaller or did my vagina get larger?"  I bet this thought is sitting in the minds of most postpartum women....or not. The problems is, is that can I really even be considered postpartum.  So here is my gripe:

I use to trot into Victoria's Secret and snatch up the 5 for $25 underwear and was so happy with the fit.  I probably had 400 pairs, because what else do you spend your money on before you have children?  Low rise, g-string, invisible...those were the best underwear.  This was all fine and dandy until Victoria Secret decided it was a great idea to change said underwear.  

They took their reasonable cotton underwear and added a scrunched seam in the back...why?!  The problem is you go to buy new underwear for whatever reason and you are struck with this discovery that your underwear no longer exist.  You pick up your allotted five pairs and go home slightly defeated but also excited because maybe these underwear are going to be awesome.  Well they aren't because who wants a seam that spans the length of your butt...no one.  Now I am stuck with these stupid underwear that I insist one day I will wear so I don't get rid of them.  

I go back to wearing the old pairs and make another trip out to Vicky's a couple months down the road and see that now they have done away with cotton completely.  My only option for underwear is now spandex yoga underwear that says stupid shit on the back like: Not tonight or I'm so Hot!  I pick up my 5 pair and get on my way.  These end up not being so bad and I stick with them for awhile.  Then something happens, something that will change my outlook on underwear forever.

I get pregnant!

I realized that being pregnant was going to make my size fluctuate so I headed for the Big Red instead of Vicky's for the maiden voyage in to maternity underwear.  I got some real practical cotton undies from my friend Gillian and O'Malley.  They too have a 5 pair deal, but for only $20!  What a steal.  For my first two trimesters I had about exactly 5 pairs of underwear that fit, it was awful.  They lasted through my whole pregnancy and stretched out to fit my ever growing bump.  Then something happened that would seriously make my underwear hunt ten times harder.

I gave birth!

Yeah, so I guess it was inevitable.  My maternity underwear that I loved so dearly were great right after I had my baby.  Then I started to shed the baby weight and thought I should give my former underwear a try.  Really what the hell was I thinking?  No self respecting woman should have Wanna Date? plaster on her ass.  The worse part is that I am seriously convinced that, overtime, Vicky's has sabotaged my underwear search by decreasing the crotch size on me....that or my vagina just got bigger.  I don't believe the latter to be true because my underwear drawer is basically a Victoria's Secret time capsule of the evolution of their panties.  Their crotch use to be as wide as a point and shoot camera.  Now?  We are looking at a stick of gum.  What the heck Vicky?  To my dismay I now need to go buy more underwear.  I go visit Gillian and O'Malley again and pick out some size appropriate drawers, obviously searching for the same ones I bought before.  I must have been feeling adventurous that day because I got silk and of course I got 5.  Why?  Because they stopped making the ones I liked!  My job basically equates to me climbing stair for a living, what the hell am I suppose to do with silk underwear?  No one likes silk underwear and if you do you are lying for the sake of your husband.  So I am now stuck with wearing my too big underwear from my pregnancy days.  Baggy underwear are the worse but I seriously do not have the patience to start this search again.  If I am not stuck in the saggy G&O's, I am prancing around with Out of Your League on my ass while Dufda just shakes his head.

Seriously why does underwear shopping suck so bad...or am I the only one?

Makin' some Bubbly with Sodastream

Disclosure: I have received this product in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Seriously, how annoying is buying pop from the grocery store.  You can only fit two in a bag.  They are super heavy.  The ones you want are never on sale.  They always go flat before you get to the bottom.  The list goes on and on, well maybe not on and on but there are definitely some things that irk me about the soda industry and the packaging for their product.  Sure you can buy cans or smaller bottles, but then you pay more.  Sodastream solves just about all of these problems, while giving you a variety of choices in the process.

I am sure you have seen Sodastream some where and probably thought that it looked pretty neat.  So what does it do?  Sodastream is an at-home soda maker that allows you to turn tap water into sparkling water in under 30 seconds.  You then add your flavor to get cola, an Arnold Palmer, flavored water and who slew of other options.  You have control over the fizz and the flavor allowing you to concoct your perfect soda.  

The process is simple.  First you hook up the cabonator to your Sodastream.  Then you fill the bottle with regular tap water and insert it into the machine.  Next you press down on the front of the machine to carbonate the water.  The LED lets you know how much you have added.  Choose a flavor.  Pour it in and mix it up and you are ready to go!

So what does it taste like?  If you are looking for this to be an exact match to Pepsi, it won't be.  It is a different flavor for the cola, not bad, just different.  My favorite is the Half and Half, iced tea and lemonade.  I love the machine for just plain sparkling water as well.  Keeps me from buying it!  They have everything from cocktail mixes to energy drink.  The best part?  It has 2/3 less calories than that of the name brand soda.

 While it does taste good and it is better for you, Sodastream also saves you money.  Even the cheapest can of soda will cost you about 50 cents.  Sodastream cuts that in half and won't leave you with any flat soda that needs to be thrown away.  If your state requires a bottle deposit, you get to skip that as well.  The Sodastream also keeps lots and lots of bottle out of landfills.  The only person in the house that doesn't like the Sodastream?  That would be 10 month old Nugget...he LOVES playing with 2-liter bottles.

Soda is heavy and if you are a mom, you don't want to be lugging babies and soda bottles in and out of the store.  The bottle of soda mix will yield you 33 cans.  Your 1 carbonator will make 60 liters.  No more storing bottles and then having to wrangle them all up on trash day.  The Sodastream is extremely convenient.  It makes this soda without batteries, electricity or plumbing.  I still haven't figured out how it works, it is almost magical!

Have I sold you on the Sodastream yet?  I did forget to tell you that the Sodastream looks great on your counter.  It doesn't clash with your kitchen.  The design is modern and sleek.  You are able to pick up a Sodastream at all these retailers or order one today on Amazon.

Sippy, Spout or Straw...Oh My!

Disclosure: I have received this product in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from that of yours.

Before I had children I had always heard that you shouldn't give babies bottles after 1 year.  In my mind this was just a simple fix, your baby turns one and banish all bottles from the house.  Now that I have a child, I learned that wasn't exactly the case.  What do you you give after the bottle: sippy, spout, adult cup or straw cup?  There are about a million and one options and you will probably try every one of them before your child picks your last attempt.  

When Nugget was old enough to be in the high chair, I offered him a sippy cup to play with.  I doubt he even took a sip.  We started with a soft spout and it was never really a hit.  Then one day I offered Nugget to drink out of my cup from the straw.  To my surprise, he started chugging all of my water.  I knew that our next move would be a straw cup.  I have heard lot of stories about straw cups leaking and being hard to clean so I was nervous about that.  Since I am a Nuby Mom, I naturally went with a Nuby cup first.  The Clik-it™ FlexStraw™ combined everything we need to give Nugget an alternative to the bottle.

The  Clik-it™ FlexStraw™ features Nuby's leak proof technology which gives an audible click whenever it is completely tightened.  I fill this with water and throw it in my diaper bag, never once has it leaked on me.  Nugget gives this cup a beating to and it hasn't affected the seal or the click.

The straw.  This isn't just a normal straw, there are a couple of valves that prevent water from just spilling out of it.  When I first looked at it, I thought it would be hard for Nugget to suck through the straw.  I tried it myself and although it requires a little more work, Nugget was able to learn it very quickly.  I have to admit, I think Nugget is super cute when he drink out of this.  He just looks so grown up sipping away.

When we finally make the transition to rid of the bottles completely, these will be our go to cups.  They come into 4 pieces for easy clean up and have a contoured shaped that makes them easy to hold.  Would you like to pick up a  Clik-it™ FlexStraw™ Cup of your own?  They are available at Amazon, Target and TJ Maxx.

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