Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System Review

May 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Graco has recently released their first jogger! The Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System is the ultimate crossover stroller, combining all of the comfort and convenience features of a traditional stroller with the performance and maneuverability of all all-terrain jogger!

graco click connect

 

If you purchase the Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System, it will come with the car seat, however, if you purchase just the stroller, it will work with all Graco Click Connect infant car seats. Out of the box, it was quite easy to assemble. You just had to snap the wheels in place and attach the parent and child tray and you are done. I did it (without directions) in under five minutes.

graco pull

 

This stroller is awesome! My all-time favorite feature is that you can fold this baby up with just one hand! In the seat, you will find a red strap  labeled, “Pull to Fold.” Give it a firm pull and it closes right on up. Also, when it is folded, it is self-standing, thanks to the kick-stand feature. That’s right – you don’t have to lay your stroller down on the dirty ground anymore! How awesome is that!?!

 

graco phone

When choosing a stroller, I find it important that it will hold all of my “stuff.” This stroller features an extra-large storage basket underneath the seat, perfect for storing your diaper bag. My diaper bag is quite large and it fit without an issue. The deluxe parent’s tray has two cup holders, a smartphone cradle for your phone or MP3 player and a covered storage compartment. Unfortunately, my Samsung Galaxy S3 was too big to fit in the smartphone cradle, however, it did fit in the covered storage compartment without a problem.

 

reflector

One thing I immediately noticed was that the stroller had reflectors on the back wheels and along the side of the child’s tray. This is a great safety feature if you are out in low-light visibility. I found that the child’s canopy was large and would adequately keep the sun off your child while they are in the stroller. The stroller seat can be reclined in multi-positions, ensuring you child is  comfortable while you are out and about.

graco window

Here are some additional features of the Graco FastAction Fold Jogger:

  • Air-filled rubber tires offer suspension
  • Locking front swivel wheel provides an easy transition from daily strolling to jogging
  • Extra-large, expandable canopy with peek-a-boo window keeps your child shaded
  • Reflectors for added low-light visibility
  • Child’s tray with cup holder pivots or removes for no-fuss stroller entry
  • Convertible 3 or 5-point harness grows with your child

The Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System comes with the top-rated SnugRide Click Connect 35 Car Seat. It features energy absorbing foam for effective impact energy management, a LATCH-equipped stay-in-car base with on-base level indicator for a hassle-free installation, a 5-point, front-adjust harness and a removable infant head support cushion for the smallest riders.

The Graco SnugRide Click Connect 35 Car Seat is recommended for rear-facing infants from 4-35 pounds and up to 32″. The FastAction Fold Jogger will hold a child up to 50 pounds.

The Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Stroller can be purchased both in-store and online at retailers nationwide (Babies”R”Us, Amazon, Target and BuyBuy Baby)  for around $179.99.  The Jogger Travel System with SnugRide Click Connect 35 retails for around $299.99.

For more information on the Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System, visit www.GracoBaby.com.

Disclosure: Thank you to Graco for providing me a Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System for review purposes. No monetary compensation was provided for this review  and all opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own

Deluxe Baby Sign Language Kit Review

May 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment

baby sign language

 

Since the birth of my first son I have always wanted to use sign language to help him communicate
before he was ready to do so verbally. My cousin teaches American Sign Language and works with
hearing impaired children, therefore I always had a great resource but nothing tangible to go to for quick
references when I needed them. Now I have a newborn and I would like to work with sign language
again…That is where the Deluxe Baby Sign Language Kit by www.babysignlanguage.com comes in
handy.

The Deluxe Baby Sign Language Kit includes an easy to follow teaching guide (I liked the large
font), Official Reference Dictionary (alphabetically organized with pictures), Flash Cards (large, colorful
pictures on one side and the sign language on the other side), and Wall Chart (also bright and colorful).

 

baby sign language deluxe kit

 

 

The teaching guide gives you step by step directions for teaching the most popular words like mom, dad, milk, and more.  There are pictures and detailed descriptions of how to actually teach your baby basic words with suggestions of being animated, repetitive, encouraging, and braving the task of experimenting with other words to keep your baby challenged.

    With that in mind, I worked with my 3 ½ year old who LOVED looking at the poster and copying the gestures that were pictured.  He laughed and smiled while we were copying the sign for car and he made car noises to go along with the gesture.  Now I do not need to use it with my 3 ½ year old since he can totally tell me what he wants and does it loudly ALL the time but my 3 month old will someday benefit from this product.

    A good way to start using this in your everyday life is to get yourself used to signing routinely with your baby.  For now I will sign and say the word milk every time I give my newborn milk.  Eventually he will be able to sign milk to me when he would like some milk.  I have actually seen this work first hand as this was the first sign my 3 ½ year old learned and used when he was little and couldn’t verbally ask me for milk.  His next sign was “more” and he also used that regularly as well as “all done.”  It was really incredible to see such a little boy communicating with me…remember wishing your little baby could tell you what he or she wanted before they could talk?

    The program retails online for $74.80 plus shipping, which I think is expensive but it does go on sale on their website, www.babysignlanguage.com for $39.95 and at the time I was writing this review up it was on sale for that price. The website itself also has great reference videos to help you get started as well as videos of how to sign TONS of words…honestly you could probably use this website without purchasing the products.  But if you are dedicated to teaching sign language to your child, and are a hands on learner, then I would say that this is the way to go since it has so many references to help you and your child learn together.

    In my opinion this is a great program with lots of easy to use materials for yourself and your child.  It is important to remember that this is a learning process for you as well as your child.  It will take a couple of days of repetition and slowly signing the word for both of you to get the hang of it.  My first son didn’t really start to use sign language until he was about 1 years old but he also didn’t start learning it until he went to daycare where they initiated it and I kept it going at home.  Start slow, keep the poster close to view, and have fun! -Morgan

Disclosure: I was provided a Deluxe Baby Sign Language Kit from www.babysignlanguage.com for review purposes. No monetary compensation was provided for this review and all opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.

Anytime Costume: Belle Costume Review

April 18, 2013 By

antime costumes

 

When you think about costumes, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Halloween. However, in our house, my kids wear costumes year around as dress up and imaginative role- playing.

Anytime Costumes is your one-stop costume shop. Whether you are looking for a costume for an adult, child or even pet, Anytime Costumes has a nice variety of costumes to fit your needs. Anytime Costumes recently allowed us to choose a  Disney -themed costume. My 4 year old daughter is really into dressing up as the Disney Princesses, so I let her help pick out our selection.

Anytime Costumes is extremely easy to navigate. We quickly sorted the costumes by “Girls” and they had a direct link to the Disney Princess costumes. Her newest favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast, so she quickly choose the Belle costume.


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My daughter was extremely excited about her new costume and asked every single day if her costume had arrived. Thankfully, shipping is quick at Anytime Costumes. If you place your order by 3pm EST, your order will ship out the same day! After a few days, the costume arrived in our mailbox and my little girl was in heaven. We choose the Belle costume in size Small (4-6x) and it fit her perfectly. It appears to be well made and was exactly as described online. She added some sparkly pink shoes to her costume to complete the look.

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One of my favorite features of Anytime Costume is that they offer FREE Costume Exchanges. Most of us know that some costumes can tend to run small, so this is an fantastic benefit!

Whether you need a costume for a special holiday, dress-up or even a school play,  Anytime Costumes is sure to meet your costume and accessory needs.

Disclosure: Anytime Costumes sent me a sample costume of my choice for review purposes. No monetary compensation was provided for this review and all opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.  

Tea Collection Spring 2013 Line Review & 15% Off Coupon Code

March 21, 2013 By

tea

 

It’s been a long winter, but we can now officially say spring has arrived! For most of us, it is time to put away the heavy winter clothing and start dressing in fun and colorful apparel that matches the warmer weather.  One of my favorite kids’ clothing lines, Tea Collection, has just released their new Spring Collection, which features fun and stylish designs that are easy to mix and match.

When shopping online, you will find that TeaCollection.com is easy to navigate. If you are needing some inspiration, they have a section called “Outfits” which show you how the items can be paired together. My little girl loves dresses, so this time around, many of our items were cute dresses or tunic tops paired with leggings.

My daughter is very opinionated, so I let her help pick out some of her spring clothing. She was immediately drawn to this Woodstock Twirl Dress in Milk, which pairs beautifully with the Stretch Capri Leggings in Regal Purple. It was just as cute on as it was in the picture!

woostock

 

Next up, we chose the Durban Shoulder-Tie Tunic in Peacock along with French Terry Play Shorts in Camille Pink. The shorts were especially soft and the gathering on the front was a nice touch.

durban final

 

We both really liked the Rosebank Mini Dress in Fruit Punch and African Lily Dress in Milk. To stretch our budget a little further, we chose the Skinny Stretch Leggings in Indigo since it matches both tops perfectly.

 

tea final

 

Now, I will be honest, Tea Collection does tend to be more expensive than some other popular children’s clothing stores. However, I believe you often get what you pay for in terms of clothing. Everything that I have ever received from Tea Collection is super soft, extremely durable and of fantastic quality. The clothing holds up wonderfully to rough play and frequent washings and - for those consignment mommies out there - has great resale value. :)

Ready to go shopping? Head over to Tea Collection and use Spoiled but Not Rotten’s exclusive coupon code, PRSPOIL213, to save an additional 15% off your entire order. This coupon code expires at 12:01 am on April 16th and can be used on regular priced items.

Disclaimer:  I was provided several selections of the Tea Collection Spring Line for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own. 

 

Stork Stack Monthly Subscription Gift Service Review & Giveaway

January 20, 2013 By

Stork Stack is a gift subscription service which delivers five deluxe, high-quality products to your doorstep each month! Each hand-picked item is tailored for both mom and child, starting from the third trimester of pregnancy  through your baby’s third birthday. Each box, or Stack, is sent out around the 1st of each month and is filled with $50+ of products – all for just $28 per month! The contents in each Stack change each month, but you can be rest-assured that you will always find age-appropriate products for your child.

We love getting packages in our house – especially ones that bring surprises. So, when our Stork Stack package arrived on our doorstep, my little girl was just as excited as I was to find out what goodies were inside! All of the items were neatly packaged inside the aqua colored box in cute tissue paper.

Our Stack was shipped in January and was geared toward a child who was turning three. Here is what was in our box:

Cook It (Helping Hands) children’s book by Georgie Birkett (a $5.99 value)
Contigo Kids Spill & Leak Proof Mug (a $13.91 value)
Susan Brown’s Baby Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer (a $12 value)
Sweat Unlimited with Sara Haley Workout DVD (a $24.95 value)
Instagrad $10 Gift for 529 College Savings Plan (a $10 value)

Did my Stork Stack box stand up to the $50+ value that they claim? Absolutely! If I were to purchase these items separately at Amazon, I would have paid over $66!

Even if you don’t have a little one of your own, these make wonderful gifts for new and expectant moms! Stork Stack offer several subscription plans to fit any budget:

Month-to-Month
3 Month Subscription
6 Month Subscription
Annual Subscription

Buy It: Stork Stack’s Monthly Stacks start at just $28. If you are sending it as a gift for an expectant mom, check out their Shower Stack packages, starting at $40.

Win It:  One lucky Spoiled but Not Rotten reader will win (1) Monthly Stack  - a $28 value! To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.

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Minted Calendar Review & Gift Guide

December 10, 2012 By

This holiday season, personalized photo gifts are more popular than ever! Since photo gifts can be cherished for years to come, they make the perfect gifts for parents, grandparents, friends and colleagues. Minted.com is your go-to source for premium paper goods. Whether you are looking for the perfect holiday card , a personalized photo calendar or one-of-a-kind stationary, Minted will help you design that perfect gift!

 

 

One of my favorite photo gifts offered at Minted are their Photo Calendars. These beautiful calendars feature premium matte paper and come in two sizes – The Standard (8.5 x 11.5 inches) and The Grand (11.5 x 14 inches).  With 28 different designs, choosing my favorite design was a task in itself, but I ultimately decided on the Pop Of Color Grand Calendar. I have made my fair share of photo gifts in the past and I was extremely pleased to find out that Minted’s calendar building software was one of the quickest and easiest to use. Each month is totally customizable, allowing you to insert birthdays, anniversaries and other special events. In less than 15 minutes, I was able to build a beautiful calendar filled with family pictures!

 

          Photo credit: Christina Evans Photography

If a photo calendar isn’t the perfect gift for you, check out other personalized gifts using Minted’s Gift Guide. Featuring everything from Personalized Journals to Unique Shapes Personal Stationary, you will be sure to find a gift as unique as the person you are giving it to. I immediately fell in love with the Custom Family Tree Art Prints! These one-of-a-kind pieces are a great way to document and display your family history.

Still need to make your holiday cards? Minted has you covered! Through 12/11, get 15% off all holiday cards with FREE recipient addressing with coupon code TWINKLE.

Disclosure: Minted provided me with a sample calendar for review purposes. No monetary compensation was provided for this review and all opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.  


Tiny Prints Holiday Card Review & $50 Giveaway

November 14, 2012 By

 

One of my favorite things about this time of year is creating our holiday cards. For the past few years, I have turned to Tiny Prints because their Holiday Photo Cards are not only of high quality, but they also have a large selection. They have a wonderful collection this year from traditional colors and embellishments to merry and bright colors that take a modern feel. If you are looking for religious cards, they have those too – including Hanukkah!

 

This year, Tiny Prints has introduced their new Premium DoubleThick Matte paper  - their most luxurious cardstock yet!

 

To get started on your holiday cards, head over to Tiny Prints and browse their wonderful selection. To help you save money, make sure to check out their Special Offers page to view all of their current deals.

Tiny Prints is graciously offering one lucky Spoiled but Not Rotten reader a $50 voucher to use on their site between now and 12/14/12. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.

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Wholesale Halloween Costumes Review

September 13, 2012 By

 

It’s that time of year again – the time we start thinking of what our little ones are going to be for Halloween. I always like to think ahead to avoid any “Out of Stock” issues that is common when you wait too close to the holiday. When I asked my son what he wanted to be this year, he was a little undecided so we headed over to WholeSaleHalloweenCostumes.com and had a look around.

WholeSale Halloween Costumes has a wide range of costumes for all ages – everything from Baby & Toddler, Kids and Adults. If you enjoy dressing up your pet, they have costumes for  your four-legged friends as well!

To find something for my 6-year-old son, we headed over to the wholesale boys’ costumes. He had a nice variety to choose from including superheroes, cartoon characters, ninjas and comic book characters. It was a hard decision, but he ultimately decided on The Flash costume. Costumes often run small, so it was nice that WholeSale Halloween Costumes offered a size chart to help determine the correct size. If you are in a time crunch, you can check when your item should be delivered with the “In-Home Date” tab.

Upon receipt of our order, my son had to try it on immediately. The costume was just as described and was of great quality. It included the red jumpsuit with boot tops and a headpiece/mask, which featured lightning bolts. My son has long been a fan of The Flash and we were both extremely happy with the costume. The sizing was perfect (we used to sizing chart to help guide us on the correct size) and has plenty of room for growing. My son loves to play in his past superhero costumes and I expect that The Flash costume will get lots of play time after Halloween as well.

Now is the perfect time to purchase your costumes for Halloween. Head over to WholeSale Halloween Costumes and take a look around at their great selection at wholesale prices!

 

Disclosure: Wholesale Halloween Costumes sent me a sample costume of my choice for review purposes. No monetary compensation was provided for this review and all opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.