I am constantly impressed when I see products coming on the market that are innovative, user-friendly, environmentally-safe, and technologically savvy. While attending the event at the Pump Station in Santa Monica, I came across a super neat company named Activeion.  Immediately, when I watched the demonstration, I was taken back by this spray gadget being a multifunctional all in one cleaner for the household. Plus, it’s one cleaner you won’t feel guilty using because it’s green, and you will be reducing your carbon footprint on Earth.

When I was watching the demonstration, I was impressed, but at the same time I had reservations.  It almost looked to good to be true.  I have been to functions where they showed products doing miraculous things, but once bought and taken home, it does nothing that it did on the showroom floor. Hence, I had to put on my skeptic hat.  For me to truely know that the product works, I had to try it out for myself in the privacy of my own home.

First I would like to explain how the Activeion works (directly from the website):
Activeion transforms tap water into a powerful cleaner through a simple, three-step process:

1. Charging: When the trigger is pressed, the water flows through a water cell that applies a slight electrical charge to the tap water.
2. Transforming: Next, the water passes through an ion exchange membrane where the activated water is separated into an oxygenated mixture of positively and negatively charged nano-bubbles.
3. Cleaning: When applied, the transformed, activated water helps lift the dirt from the surface like a magnet, enabling it to be wiped away. The activated water returns to its natural state after 30-45 seconds.

Once I received the Activeion, I can honestly say that I was very excited to try it out because I have been looking for cleaners that are green and safe for my family, especially for my children.  Using tap water to clean, is probably the safest cleaning method known to man, unless the water was contaminated in some odd way, but we don’t live in a third world country, so the odds of that happening would be very low.

My Daughter using Activeion on her grapes

I put the tap water into my Activeion and the whole process took me seconds. So definitely a time saver as well.  I sprayed the top of my wooden table which had a lots of old food residue on it, and with one wipe, my table was shining.  After that run, I got more excited and took the spray over to my laptop.  I hate cleaning laptops because if you ever gotten the cleaning cloths made for laptops, the smell is repulsivel, and it really never cleans a laptop.  It leaves streaks!  I sprayed it on my laptop screen, wiped it off with a cloth, and the screen looked as good as the first time I got it out of the box. I have been using the Activeion constantly and looking for places I could use it. I have become a little bit of an Activeion addict (I sprayed my toes, my mouth, and even to sanitize my breast pump). My daughter sprays her hand after she comes back from school and she even sprayed her toys to clean them.  I finally found a product that I can use to clean my household and it’s even safe for my children.  In the long run, it saves money and saves the Earth.  I don’t think it can get better than that!  For a look into the Activeion world please visit them at www.activeion.com.  Also, take the time out to watch their online video demo, you surely will be impressed. This is one product that is worth your money.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Who thought I couldn’t be the next Spielberg?  Back in the day, you heard about all these famous Academy Award Winning directors getting their start with a super8 or some really dated camcorder, in the basement of their folks home.  These days, everything has gone digital, and anyone from anywhere, can make their own movies.  Not sure about good movies, but movies that they can have for themselves.  When I knew I was going to have another baby, I wanted to capture the moment on video.  With my first born, my husband recorded our baby on my cell phone.  When the cell phone broke down and I got a new phone, the footage was lost forever. UGH!  Her first cry, her first yawn, her first everything, went down the drain.  I still think about it with great irritation.  Wish we were more prepared, and had our camcorder ready to go.

Speaking of camcorder.  Ours is a nice Panasonic one, that is super lightweight, and fairly easy to use.  However, we never use it.  The camcorder literally still has tags on it.   Anyone want to buy it off me, so I can save a post on a Craigslist ad?  The reason we don’t use it is because we never charge the battery to use it, it requires miniDV tapes, and getting the footage from the camera to the computer is such a hassle, especially for someone like me.  It’s always a hit or miss, so I just let the camcorder sit in our closets, in it’s original box with tags.  I know it’s sad.

With technology improving on a daily basis, and things coming out on the market almost everyday, I was curious to see, all that the digital video world had to offer.  I saw a couple cameras, here and there, and nothing really sparked an interest in me.  They were pretty much similar to the one sitting in my closet, except for the fact that they were in HD.  One day, my best friend came over to my house and started to video record my daughter making whale noises, don’t ask me how they are suppose to sound like.  The camera was retangular in shape, very lightweight, and it was super easy to use.  She just pressed the red button to record and the red button to stop.  Nothing else to it.  I asked her what it was called and she said, the Flip.  She replayed it to me and also explained that the video could go directly into her Youtube page, by just sticking the camera into her laptop through a USB port.  Oh my goodness, how easy, how fun, and how cool is that!

Flip MinoHD

The Flip Video was the answer to all my video dilemmas.  What’s even better?  I got the MinoHD, which is the world’s sleekest HD Camcorder.  So not only do I have a really super simple video camera, it’s in HD.  I don’t know about all of you, but everything in my house is pretty much HD. Yes, even my laptop! HD stands for High Definition, and compared to the commonly used SD, the quality in imagery is superior and nothing short of amazing.  For this second birth and because I lost all the footages from my first birth, I wanted to come back with a vengeance! The MinoHD does not fall short in any area. It is such a convenient everyday camera that I can stick in my purse.  The quality in imagery is superb, it is very user friendly, and to get an HD camcorder at $229.99, you can’t beat that.  With this camera, I won’t have any missed moments because I’ll always have it available in my purse.  Plus, I can upload it to Youtube, Myspace, or AOL Video.  No hassles, just a simple press and go, and there I have my video (up to 60 minutes).  You don’t even need a battery charger, you just stick it into your USB port and wallah, it charges!

The Flip comes in a variety of models, including their Ultra line and their Mino line, which come in HD.  Obviously I would love it if the screen was a little bit bigger, but because of its small size, it’s understandble why they had to keep the screen dimensions smaller. I definitely think that you should check this video camera out, whether you are in the market, or just looking for some fun innovative products. For all the Specs and more information, please go to www.theflip.com.

A side note: My 3 year old daughter uses it, and it’s so easy use, she thinks it’s her toy. Oh, and my mother who is past her sixties and has a hard time keeping up with technology, and I am being nice by saying that, plays with my MinoHD like it’s her toy. I am going to have to confiscate my Flip and put it in hiding.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

As many you have read in my previous blogs, I am just not a fan of camisole nursing tops that look like a sports bra add-on.  Going out in public, you want to look put together and not feel like you just got out of bed.  I mean, I have nothing against camisole nursing tops, but I probably wouldn’t wear it in public.  When I was looking for nursing tops, I knew I wanted a nursing top that I could wear out to a nice dinner party, and a top that I could wear out to the park.  I am a huge fan of tank tops and wife beaters.  It’s super convenient, comfortable, and perfect for sunny Southern California weather.  You can wear them with jeans, leggings, and pretty much anything you can think of.  When I was looking for tank tops and wife beaters, I kept coming across the same old looking camisole tops that I did not care for, until I came across Momzelle.

Momzelle Organic Long Tank

Momzelle was a line started by a mother who created her own nursing top to feel comfortable breastfeeding in public settings.  After she made her own, she soon started having a following.  When I saw the line of tops that Momzelle had to offer, I knew we were in business.  The tops mostly consisted of casual tanks and tees, but they were designed to flatter the post partum figure.  I got the organic long tank in a khaki color.  Everything I own, whether its a blouse or a wife beater, is extra long.  I don’t like when shirts rise up and you constantly have to bring it down, it’s such a hassle.  This top is so perfect to wear to the park.  You can sit on the bench and just pull up either side of the top to breastfeed.  It is very discreet and simply comfortable.  It looks and feels good.  Made of 92% Organic Cotton, and 8% Spandex, you know that you’re getting quality and comfort.

If you see me at the park, you will probably see me in my new organic long tank by Momzelle.  For more information on nursing tops by Momzelle, please visit them at www.momzelle.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Making sure your family eats healthy can be as easy or hard as you make it.  I try to simplify everything because it makes me want to eat healthy.  Stressing over daily meals and it’s nutritional values can lead to discouragement and an all out strike on healthy food. When I go grocery shopping, I make sure I buy fruits, veggies, some sort of protein, and grain.  I don’t buy around recipes because for me, I generally cannot follow recipes and anything too time consuming means it will never be made!

With all that being said, I definitely go through a lot of challenges when it comes to healthy eating. My husband and I eat on the healthier side, and we occasionally indulge in the non-healthier choices as well.  However, the problem lies with our beautiful 3 year old princess.  When she was younger she would eat so healthy.  I literally thought she was going to be a raw foodist.  She would eat freshly bought uncooked corn, right out of the husk.  She ate organic blueberries, raw jicama, lettuce leaves, anything and everything that was connected to healthy eating. That being said, earlier this year she was introduced to a thing called “preschool.” I am pretty sure this is where a lot of you moms can relate to my challenges.

Once she started preschool, I continued to pack her a very healthy lunch.  There was always one component from each food group.  For example, I would have strawberries, peanut butter sandwich (my daughter does not like jelly), and baby carrots.  I prefer filling up her water bottle with filtered water from our house.  Her lunch started out like that and then eventually everyday she would bring back a part of her lunch that was not eaten. Last week, I got her lunch back, just the way I had packed it, nothing had been eaten.  Of course, as a mother, I freaked out.  I know how energetic my daughter is and to think that she had only eaten “nothing” gives me a reason for concern. I asked her why she did not eat her lunch and she would just tell me she didn’t like it.  So I asked her what her friends at school brought and she said that they brought a turkey or cheese sandwich, goldfish, potato chips, and juice.  For me, the added junk food with the sandwich does not sound healthy.  So I did an experiment and packed her a turkey sandwich, a pack of goldfish, and some juice.  When she brought back her lunch, she still didn’t eat her sandwich, but what she did finish were her pack of goldfish and the juice. Go figure!

Carrots with Fat Free Ranch Dip

I went back to the drawing boards.  So I took the healthier lunch that I usually packed her, got some cookie cutters, and then shaped her sandwich like hearts and stars.  I also got a package of baby carrots that had Bugs Bunny on it (can be found at Safeway stores, which includes Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s and Carrs).  This time around I got her lunch bag and she ate everything.  Needless to say, it’s been challenging, but I guess it’s trial and error. If you want information on healthy recipes and more, please visit http://www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids/.  Safeway is also offering a discount with the Club Card at your local participating store.

“Tasty Tip”- What are your favorite ways to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies?

(Disclosure Notice: I have been hired by Warner Brothers to participate in the Looney Tunes Eating Right Kids Program.)

Just wanted to let everyone know that my site is on Alltop® which has some of the bests blogs listed to date.  Before I even began blogging, I use to go to Alltop® to read some of my favorite mom bloggers.  I was inspired to write my own blog through those blogs.  When I started my blog, I knew I wanted to be a part of Alltop® because of the quality sites they had on there and now I am a part of that elite group. If you would like to find me on Alltop® please go to: http://moms.alltop.com/.  I am listed towards the bottom because I am new.  Now trying to figure out how to get to the top so that I am more visible.  Anyone have any tips?

I remember when I was breastfeeding my daughter, I purchased 2 nursing bras at a sample sale at Naissance on Melrose.  They were both really nice nursing bras, but the only thing missing was that neither had any support.  They looked like sports bras and were completely flat.  Trying to wear those bras with nicer clothing to go out, just did not make sense.  Whenever I had to go out to an event or dinner with my husband, I switched to my regular bras, and ended up putting Lilypadz in it, so that it prevented any leakage.

I truely believe that you should invest in at least one good bra, whether you are nursing or not.  A bra that fits correctly and looks and feels nice.  Just like everyone should have one pair of really nice jeans.  When I was pregnant for the second time around, I knew that I would invest in one really nice bra which had support.  I gathered all my resources and came across Bella Materna, nursing bras to its finest. I went to their site and looked at all the bras they had to offer.  They had so many bras that caught my eye, but I had to choose one that was practical for me.  I chose the padded nursing bra. I wasn’t sure on size, so I had to measure myself exactly the way is was shown on the Bella Materna sizing chart.  I came out to be a 34C. No way! I am usually a 32B, so it blew me away. So I ordered it in 34C, but I had major doubts that it would fit me.

The bra arrived, and it was soft to the touch.  You could definitely tell it was finely made and was pure luxury.  I looked at the bra and still had doubts it would fit me because the cups looked too big for my boobs.  I tried it on and too my surprise, it fit PERFECTLY! The bra is made of quick drying Imported Italian Nylon/Lycra, which keeps moisture from sitting next to the body. Another plus, the fabric will not fade or pill and Okeo-TEx certified to be toxin free.

I love that the bra has an easy one-handed clasp with adjustable straps.  The Special Strap Keep helps support your breast while you nurse.  This is such a great bra, whether you on in your last trimester or when you are nursing.  It is super comfortable and flattering to your curves.  I love that its functionable and fashionable.  I definitely think its worth the investment.  Bella Materna also has a whole line of maternity, transition, and sleepwear.  For more information, please visit them at www.bellamaterna.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Who would have thought that nursingwear could be so fashion forward?  I didn’t.  Especially going from one retailer to another, only to find bland, boring, clasp tops that had no pizazz.  I only hoped that a designer would come up with a couture line of nursingwear.  While going shopping for nursingwear, I could honestly say, there were less than a handful of brands that I came across, that I would think of putting on.  The perfect nursingwear for me, would be functional, flattering, and fashion forward.  What I do not want is a camisole looking bra top or an offspring of a sports bra to wear around the park.  Everyone has a preference, and mothers who do wear those tops, I have no problems with.  However, for me, I need a little somethin somethin.  Either a pop in color, an added spice, or an extra dimension, something.

One day while out with a friend, I came across Titi Collection, pronounced tee-tee.  I won’t ask where that name came from, but you have to say it’s to the point, unless I’m misinterpreting it.  It’s definitely nursingwear taken to the next level. It’s pure luxury from the second you lay eyes on it, to the moment you put it on.  Made of Italian stretch silk, it does not skimp on fabric.  I tried the Hoodie in Luminous and it was beautiful. Very easy to put on, and even easier to breastfeed.  You just have to unzip the front, unclasp the lace bralette insert and wallah, begin to breastfeed.  You can even use the hood to cover, while you breastfeed your baby.  The hoodie is super functional while making you look fashionably fabulous.

Hoodie in Luminous

I had so many people look at me at the mall. I could tell all the mommies loved it and wanted to know more about it.  It really makes you feel like a goddess.  The only thing I would want more from the collection would be smaller size choices or plus-size choices.  I got the size small, however, I would have probably fit a size XS or XXS small better, since I am a size 0-2.  The size small was more like a size 4 to me. But regardless of it fitting a little bit loose on me, it still looked flattering and beautiful.  For anyone, who wants that option of fine luxury in nursingwear, I would suggest checking the collection out at www.titicollection.com.  The Hoodie retails for $219.  They also have a blouse and accessories line in their collection.

*Just wanted to let you know that they are having a summer sale for 50% off at this time. Head on over to their site and get a great deal on a beautiful piece of fashion.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

When my daughter was learning how to stand on her two feet, the biggest problem was that she was not securely placed in the activity center.  Her head would bop forward, or her bottom would scoot so far up in the seat, it would be a matter of seconds before she fell back into the backside of the seat and hurt herself.  I was constantly on high alert and had to check up on her at all times.  For a parent, it’s frustrating to see that your child is not secure, and for the child, it’s super uncomfortable.

Hugga-Bébé in Red

Knowing that I had another baby on the way, I knew that there had to be something on the market that would make my child’s developmental journey a secure and comfortable one. I then came across Hugga-Bébé, which was that very solution to the problem. An innovative product that wraps around and hugs your baby’s body.  It customizes your baby to tailor fit activity centers, jumpers, walkers, and those local park swings.

The recommended age is from four months to toddler years.  My newborn is only a couple weeks old, so I had to try the Hugga-Bébé on my friend’s baby.  She is currently 10 months old and trying to learn to stand on her two feet.  My friend also had the same frustration as mine. 

We went through the simple 6 step instructional online.  It literally took us about thirty seconds to put it on her and place her in her exersaucer.  Once we placed her in her exersaucer, you could clearly see that she was secure and she was comfortable. The Hugga-Bébé was such a great neck and back support for her.  My friend said that this product gives her the peace of mind for her to go into another room for a couple minutes and know her daughter is not in great danger.

I think this is such a great product for any parent who is worried about their child not being secure or comfortable in their jumpers, exersaucers, swings, and activity centers.  For more information, please visit them at www.myhuggabebe.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

When I found out I was going to have a summer baby, I knew I needed a blanket that was breathable and light during the days, especially when I took the baby out for walks.  Living in Southern California, the summer months can be extremely brutal.  I remember with my first child, it was too hot in our apartment, so we had to take her to the local mall to cool off until closing hours.  Obviously it was not an ideal situation, but living in an older building, it retained heat until it hit midnight.  We had a portable air conditioner that we invested in that blew out hot air because the size of our living room was absolutely too big for it to cover.

With my first, my mom introduced to me muslin wraps, which worked really well. However, my only chief complaint was that it was too small to cover my daughter’s long legs in its entirety, which defied the purpose of swaddling.  I remember being an exhausted and sleepless new mother, and I just went with it. I let her legs dangle out from the muslin, or just put some leggings on to cover her legs.

This time around, since I knew what to expect, I had to find a muslin wrap that met all or most of my swaddling needs.  I wanted my little summer baby to be comfortable and at the same time be warm, not over-heated.  That’s when I came across Aden + Anais.  I went to an event at the Pump Station in Santa Monica and landed in front of their table.  I touched it, tugged at it, put it across my face, and pretty much became a muslin scientist.  First and foremost, what impressed me was how light the muslin wraps were and how soft they were.  You could clearly feel and see its breath-ability.  Of course, I had to have one.

Organic Safari Wrap

Let me tell you, they are really easy to use, and they get softer with every wash.  I got the Organic Safari print muslin wrap and it’s so perfect for the baby when taking her out for walks.  She is comfortable and content.  Her skin has the ability to breath, while being completely enveloped in the muslin wrap.

Aden + Anais was a company formed by Australian mothers who moved to the United States.  They found that the swaddling cloths made of muslin fabric were too small for their babies, Aden and Anais. This was my chief complaint as well.  So they started with that concept and now have built a whole line of products for babies.  For more information, please visit them at: www.adenandanais.com.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

All our children are little miracles.  Whether we carried our own children in our tummy, had a surrogate, or adopted, every little baby is truely a miracle.  When our children are born into this world, they all have their own little personalities, characters, and their likes, as well as dislikes.  Before my second baby was born, I did endless online research on blankets, swaddling, muslins, etc…You would be surprised at how many companies are out there, as well as the information out there.  There are tons. Some good and some not so good.

As I was looking into blankets, I knew I wanted something that would prepare me for the worst.  Well, not really the worst, but prepare me for a fussy baby.  Not all blankets are made for all children, just like, no two kids are the same.  I wanted a blanket that would work for my fussy baby, as well as my non-fussy baby, just an all around good blanket that would make my baby feel comfortable, just like when she was in my tummy. That is when I came across, Miracle Blanket.

The name in itself caught my attention because who doesn’t want to get a miracle blanket for their miracle baby.  But often times than not, a lot of companies have catchy names for products that don’t really do what they say they do.  So I had to check out the Miracle Blanket. It wouldn’t hurt to try it out.  They even have a Lifetime Guarantee, so you can do a no hassle return if you don’t like it.  It’s a win-win situation.  For me, when a company has a lifetime guarantee, it says a lot about the company.  First, they believe in their product. Second, they know that their customers will like it.  It shows confidence that they stand behind their product, and as a parent and consumer, it gives me the confidence that I am getting a great product.

The Miracle Blanket is really easy to use. The packaging shows you the steps of how to use it.  You can also go online to their website www.miracleblanket.com where there is a video instructional of how to use it. So it’s definitely user-friendly.  As a parent, I don’t like to fuss with products that are hard to use.  But definitely follow the instructionals because you want to make sure you use the blanket right so that you reap all of its benefits.  It’s take a couple practice runs, but definitely worth it for you and your baby.

These are the stated benefits stated on the Miracle Blanket’s website:

• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If you don’t absolutely love The Miracle Blanket, return it and we will refund your money – no questions asked!
• Not to be confused with a baby wrap or a zip-up wearable blanket, the Miracle Blanket® is the only TRUE SWADDLING blanket successfully designed to help your baby sleep.
• Stops or reduces fussiness. Helps baby sleep better, deeper and longer.
• Makes breast feeding easier.
• One size fits all. No adjustments – newborn to several months.
• Can’t impede development of hips and knees. As baby grows, her legs extend beyond the tight portion of the wrap for free movement and joint development.
• No extra material & breathable fabric. Limits the risk of overheating.
• Simplicity of design. No confusing folding. Easy to use – even in the dark!
• Won’t unravel during restless sleep.
• No knots, buttons, straps, Velcro, snaps, zippers, etc.
• Helps your baby sleep on their back. Washington University Journal of Pediatrics studies prove even stomach-sleeping babies will sleep more comfortably on their backs if properly swaddled.

We put our baby in the Miracle Blanket when we brought our baby home from the hospital.  The baby looked so serene and comfortable.  The material was really soft to the touch.  She did not cry once and always looked content.  I liked the fact that I could breastfeed her easily without having to unravel her from the blanket.  I know with my first daughter, that was not the case.  I always had to take her out of the blanket, breastfeed her, and then put her back in the blanket.  I just love the convenience of this blanket.  I also love the fact that the blanket doesn’t unravel and the baby is constantly enveloped throughout the night.  As a parent, you have the security of knowing that your baby will be covered, as well as comfortable all throughout the night.

I would definitely encourage you to go to their site at www.miracleblanket.com to find out more information.  This would definitely be a great purchase for new parents, repeat parents, as well as a gift for a baby shower.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)