July – 2012 – Frugal Novice

Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Pump Review

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I had no clue about the importance of a good pump when J was born. Of course, some people just breastfeed exclusively and don’t use a pump, but for me it was a really important tool. We ended up renting one from the hospital, and it worked well but was $45/month, which adds up quickly. With C, I bought a single electric pump. Although it served its purpose, I realized quickly that a single pump was not for me – it takes twice as long!

This time around I am excited to have the Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Pump to use.

Lansinoh is a well-respected name in breastfeeding supplies. Their pump is affordably priced at around $129.99 (depending on retailer – I found it for more and for less at various online stores).

One aspect of the pump I love right off the bat is the capability to plug it in OR use batteries (6 AA). In most instances I’m sure I’ll use the plug, but if you’re traveling then being able to use batteries can be a lifesaver.

The flanges around the pump are a soft material (silicone, I believe) which allows for a much higher comfort level than the hard plastic many pumps have. And as you can see in the photo above, the whole unit is pretty compact – which again makes it great for traveling.

The base is pretty simple to operate with a power button, a let down button, and then buttons to to control the speed and the suction. The digital screen allows you to keep track of settings and the time you’ve used the pump.

I’ll follow up once the baby is here and let you know how it’s going using the pump, but for now we just turned it on to see. The pump is somewhat loud, but from my experience with other pumps it’s not much louder than the norm, and in most cases this won’t really matter because I pump at home. I held one of the flanges up to the palm of my hand to gauge suction, and this seems to be a powerful pump especially for the size!

The pump came with a few extras, too:

I’ll be planning to get more of the storage bags – these are great for freezing milk in to have on hand for longer-term use. They also have more of the bottles you can screw on to the pump, and I’ll probably get more of those – it makes it easier to have multiple bottles and not have to wash them each time you want to pump.

Overall I’d say this is a great, affordable pump that is easy to use. Keep an eye out for my follow-up post once the baby is here and I’ll give you some more opinions!

Note: I received this pump to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Little Busy Books from School Zone

The School Zone “Little Busy Books” are aptly named, considering they’re meant for preschoolers – who are always busy! We got the Coloring Adventure book (perfect for C, with a little help from us) and the Dot-to-Dot book, which J just loved. We used them at church last Sunday, and they were great for keeping the boys busy & quiet! These books both retail for $2.99.

Note: We received the books for review. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and our own.

Blooming Bath Review & Giveaway

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After having two kids, it’s easy to feel like you’ve seen all the products that are out there. I was completely surprised and intrigued when I discovered the Blooming Bath, a soft insert that parents can use in the sink to easily bathe their babies. It was created by four dads who all noticed how hard it can be to safely bathe slippery, squirming infants.

The Blooming Bath is a good size – I didn’t realize how large it would be, but it really is substantial which provides plenty of cushioning for your little one. Here’s a shot of it spread out on our table – isn’t it cute?

The center is a brown minky fabric that’s really soft for babies to sit on:

Here you can see a shot of the fabric from the front of the petals and then the backing too:

And on the back of the Blooming Bath there’s a tag that also doubles as a loop for hanging it up:

I tried putting ours in the sink to see how it would fit, and it seems like it will be a great setup for our baby to sit in and lean against for bathing:

The Blooming Bath is machine washable, but if it doesn’t get dirty you can just toss it in the dryer after you use it – simple! I mentioned that this is pretty large when you lay it out, but since it’s soft and foamy it’s easy to fold it up into a compact size that makes this a travel-friendly option, too. And wouldn’t this make a great shower gift? It’s adorable and practical, and will make a great impression on the recipient.

One lucky reader will win a Blooming Bath in their color choice (turquoise, pink, or yellow, ARV $40.00)! This contest is open to all U.S. residents aged 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Saturday, July 28. By entering this giveaway you agree to the Official Rules.

Note: I received a Blooming Bath to facilitate this post, one is being provided for this giveaway. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tommee Tippee Bottles

I’ve written a couple of different posts about Tommee Tippee products – their sippy cups are our new favorites, and I’m so impressed with the compact efficiency of their bottle sterilizer (I know this is going to make life easier once the baby arrives). I also got a chance to review some of their bottles, and was especially excited after hearing great things from other friends who use them.

You can tell these bottles are different right from the start – they’re wider than normal bottles, for one thing, and the entire bottle nipple area is wider too (meant to mimic breastfeeding, making it easier for babies to transition between bottle & breastfeeding). There’s also an advanced easi-vent valve that helps guard against air intake, vacuum buildup and nipple collapse, reducing the chances of gas and colic while baby feeds. This is really important to us because C had a ton of issues with gas & spitting up, and we think if we’d had the Tommee Tippee bottles it would have helped.

Features of Tommee Tippee Bottles include:

BPA- and phthalate-free
Unique soft, ultra-wide nipple mimics natural shape, feel and movement of breastfeeding
Ultra-sensitive anti-colic valve lets babies feed at their pace for less air, vacuum build- up and nipple collapse
Seamless transition from breast to bottle
Shaped for a comfortable hold for baby and mom
Nipples are progressively staged to meet baby’s needs from first latch to first sips

The Tommee Tippee bottles (and other products) are available at Target now, did you know? Our Target had an aisle that held a bunch of their products:

I’m really excited to have discovered Tommee Tippee products this time around! Have you seen their products in your Target?

Sweet Independence with Hershey’s Simple Pleasures Chocolates

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I love chocolate. Love it. If I have a treat, I want chocolate to be involved. Needless to say, I was pretty thrilled to have the chance to review Hershey’s new Simple Pleasures chocolates. Not only are they filled with a creamy center, they’re also 30% less fat than the average of the leading milk chocolates. Added flavor and less fat? Can’t really beat that.

I’m 30 weeks pregnant and am having to follow a diet for gestational diabetes, so I have to be careful with how many carbs I eat right now. It was great to find out that SIX chocolates have 28 carbs, so that means I can easily fit one chocolate in as a sweet treat after a meal.

I received three flavors to try:

The chocolates are individually wrapped, making it easy to open the bag and eat them one at a time.

They’re a great size, so having one as a treat feels like enough:

And, like I mentioned, they’re filled with a creamy center. I went for the milk chocolate variety and it was SO good! And seriously, I can’t believe it has 30% less fat – you’d never know.

If you’d like a chance to win your own Hershey’s Simple Pleasures, be sure and be a part of the Twitter party coming up:

Date – Wednesday, July 11
Time – 8-9 p.m. ET
Hashtag – #hsysimplepleasures
Prizes – Five prizes throughout the hour of the Twitter party. Each prize will be a sample pack of the Hershey’s Simple Pleasures chocolate varieties (the same sample pack pictured above that I reviewed)!

And be sure and keep up with Simple Pleasures on Facebook, too!

Note: Thank you to Hershey’s and The Motherhood for sponsoring this review. I was provided with the above prize pack to facilitate this review and a gift card for my time. All opinions stated in this review are honest and my own.

Giveaway Winners Announcement – Batch 2

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The fun part about having a ton of giveaways is getting to pick a ton of winners! Here are the latest winners, selected via Rafflecopter. There are still a lot of giveaways open so be sure and enter those… and I have a giveaway coming up later today too, so keep an eye out!

Makaboo Giveaway Winner: