Baby Einstein World Animal Adventure

As I've said before, I didn't discover the bliss that is Baby Einstein until Charlie came along and I had two kids to entertain while I did my daily 'chores', made dinner, occasionally while I sat and knitted (okay, more than occasionally, but who's really counting?)

The bigger collection I amass, the more I'm amazed at how they just don't get old for either kid. The newest release, World Animal Adventure, is a big hit at our house. After we were given a copy of World Music by MomCentral to test, I not only filled out the survey, but personally emailed to see if I could please, please, please get a review copy of the World Animal Adventure because World Music was so fantastic it even captured the attention of the six year old boy I was baby-sitting.

The World Animal Adventure also has a new feature of a second "mode". It's a little more advanced so an older toddler or pre-schooler will get even more out of the video. Silly puppet shows, a great soundtrack and animals seen in their natural habitat create a well-rounded presentation.

I love that the Baby Einstein line is taking their mission of early childhood education to the level of exposing kids to not only new sights, sounds and shapes but then attaching those sights, sounds, costumes, instruments, etc to the region of the world in which they will most likely be found. Most kids won't get to travel to Australia to see Koala Bears or Asia to see a Panda, but exposing them at an early age to what's 'out there' is something I really value.

Charlie, as you can see, is enthralled by the whole DVD series. He can be having the most off of days, but then that big caterpillar rolls across the screen and gives a little wink of encouragement saying "I know big guy, I'll make it alllll riiight" (Okay, that sounds a little pervy, but whatever); He's a goner.

I love having the compromise of allowing myself the freedom to either interact with he and H while they watch one, or to get my own work done while not feeling like I'm abandoning them to electronic media that could warp them.

I remember when I first saw that the Baby Einstein DVD's were marketed to infants from birth forward (depending on subject) I felt a little bit vindicated that it was a product line that definitely targeted the educated crowd, yet was still bucking the system that said "ZERO TV until 2 years of age!"

Like anything in parenting, there is such a broad spectrum of what 'tv time' means. Do you sit your baby in the Bumbo in front of Goodfellas? Hopefully not. But what harm can some Sesame Street or other pre-school/educational TV do so that mama can get dinner on the table?

As I was typing the above two paragraphs, I clicked over to the Baby Einstein link and saw that they've been addressing this very topic. In fact, a Harvard study on the topic of infant television was recently conducted and found, in part, that it's not harmful for infants to view TV but that content does matter.

And because you can't get a post without a little bit of snark...I love that they're not movies, they're 'Electronic Board Books' which, when said with a snotty British accent while telling other parents what my kids 'watch/read' makes me feel really superior...and I like it.

Please note that I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Baby Einstein and received a World Animal Adventure DVD to facilitate my candid review.

Union High, Union High, Alma Mater of Mine

This winter, I participated in the MomCentral blog tour promoting awareness of the Kellogg' Frosted Flakes program Earn Your Stripes, which has a sub-section called Plant a Seed intended to help with field renovations across America. People were asked to submit a field in their community that needed renovation in order that the kids and community members in general could benefit from all that organized sports and fitness in general have to offer.

I was ecstatic when I saw that my High School's field (listed under Union High School-Old Field, Union, OR) had made the final cut and is now a contender for the final 30 that will be renovated! You can vote once a day, every single day until May 31st. Vote, and vote often! If a field in your community has not been selected, I would love for you to put your support toward my hometown.

From Fartleks to Burpies and everything in between, that track and field have helped many a student athlete while away the hours in a positive way. In a community where over 90% of the youth are involved in after-school athletics throughout the course of the year, it's easy to see why a well-maintained field is so important.

The track that you see in the picture is the old cinder track that was our one and only during my heyday at UHS. After I graduated, they wrote grant after grant and worked to have a regulation track (the cinder track is not regulation) and football field built down the road from the school.

The hope is to have the track at the old field removed so that the entire space can be returned to it's previous stat, irrigated and utilized as a large field for Little League and other activities. The town's Little League space is currently at the local Stock Show grounds, which is also used for parking and the annual carnival, so is not ideal.

I have so many great memories of my time at UHS, and would love to see the field get renovated so that the next generations can benefit from a safe place to be active and engaged after-school and during the summer months. Please visit the Frosted Flakes Plant a Seed website and cast your vote every day from now until May 31st!

Evenflo Comfort Select Dual Electric Breast Pump

When I had H, I was working in a very full-time job. I was lucky to be in the position that my husband would have a month off after a couple days of my parents graciously filling the parenting gap so that my first days back to work were not compounded my a baby in daycare.

In addition to my regular work bag, I had slung over my shoulder yet another testament to my new found status of mother; my breast pump. At the time, I was working for the State of Oregon, and they're required to provide a lactation room, and allow for time to pump. But even more important was that I was the last in a string of co-workers (seven of us at once!) to have a baby, so the room was not just a drab little cubie, but an old office that had a rocking chair, magazines, artwork and a mini-fridge with ample space for us to all store our daily goods. (though it wasn't long before I was using the time to return phone calls...

At that time, I had the Medela Pump In Style, which is a really great pump that my insurance paid for. Did you know that most insurance companies will cover the cost of a pump? Something every prospective mom should check into!

I sold that pump before moving East, and with C, I was given the Pump In Style Advanced backpack style pump, and used it when I went to BlogHer Boston in addition to a couple times here and there to build up a little cushion for when I went out (though I'm not at all averse to using formula if it means I get a break, so there wasn't pressure to produce mass quantities). I was staying home this time, and so it's just been all-around a much different breastfeeding experience.

I was given an Evenflo Comfort Select Dual Electric Breast Pump (which retails for $69.99 on Amazon) to test by MomCentral, so I'll be comparing and contrasting it to the Medela, which isn't entirely fair because the Medela is in a price point about $200 higher, but it's the one I have experience with.

I really liked the trim bag that the Evenflo comes in, which really looks like a soft-sided cooler about the size that you'd take a lunch to work in. It has soft bags that you place in the freezer overnight and then take with you to keep you milk chilled all day, which would allow for more milk to be carried than if it were rigid like the Medela. It is over all a much smaller product than Medela, including the fact that the Medela motor and other parts (aside from the cups and tubes themselves) are housed inside the carrying case.

I thought it was nice that the pump comes with nipple adapters for people with smaller breasts, so you don't have to purchase additional equipment if the original cups are too large. The carrying case has a little pouch in the front that holds the user's manual (which I almost didn't see and started to complain to my husband that "If I hadn't already used a pump, I wouldn't know what these parts are...blah, blah, blah..."; yeah, the manual's right there). If I were using this pump full-time, I'd slip a couple of the Medela bags that you can use in the microwave to sanitize the pump parts. I really liked those for an office environment because I didn't have to wait all day to really clean my pump, and that way it was ready for the next use without worry of contamination.

The nipple on the two bottles that are included are shaped a lot more like a mother's would be, so it seems more user friendly for the baby. C took it just fine, though at almost 11 months old, I think his mouth is a little big and the nipples are more for smaller babies.

So, now for the drawbacks; this pump is loud. I think that I'd say it is about the same volume as a Kitchen-Aid mixer, but not as loud or grating as a coffee grinder or blender. The soft whoosh-whoosh of the Medela is what I'm used to, so I think the noise was amplified. Had I not had prior experience with a pump, I would most likely just think that's the way it was, but there would be no question to your co-workers when you were and were not pumping. Well, I guess that could be a positive, because if anyone ever walked in on you, you could use genuine indignation because there's no way they'd not have known you were 'busy'.

The only other drawback is that the only adjustment for the pump is the level of suction (low to high) not the frequency of suction. I found with the Medela that after the let-down fast speed, it was much more productive when I turned the speed way down, like to 1, and kept the suction level high; which seemed to closely mimic how my babies nursed.

With only two drawbacks, I'd have to say that overall (especially considering that this retails for well under $100) this is a great little double pump that has the option to be either cord or battery-powered (in your car in the parking garage, perhaps?) that can be used as either a single or double pump.

And now for the exciting news; You can win one yourself! I have an Evenflo Comfort Select Pump to give away to a reader that I will select at random. Please leave a comment stating why you'd love this pump to be yours and I'll enter all the comments into a hat and choose one lucky girl. If you have a funny or embarrassing breast-feeding story, I'll give you an extra entry; because everyone loves sharing personal anecdotes that could be publicly humiliating, right?

I ask that you please, please, please not enter yourself if you plan to get it only to turn around and sell it. I'd like for someone who genuinely needs it to win it. In addition to the pump, I have two 48-count boxes of Comfort Select disposable nursing pads. Depending on the number of entries, I may split them up for three prizes, two or just one grand prize.

If you'd like more information on breast-feeding, including mom-entered tips on breast-feeding and pumping, go to the MomCentral site; by adding a tip of your own you'll be entered for a chance to win one of three Evenflo Comfort Select pumps from MomCentral!