Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Fisher Price Lil' Zoomers Shake and Crawl Review

Let me start off by saying this: I don't like toys that make noise. A rattle is fine. But something that makes obnoxious sounds and plays music and can't easily be quieted doesn't often find a place in the Strick household. However, they can't always be avoided, and I will buy my child something if it keeps him entertained long enough for me to take a bathroom break.
Jbaby loves cars, and motorcycles, and anything else with wheels and an engine. He watches Top Gear (British version, of course), West Coast Customs, Sons of Anarchy, etc. Weird for a 5 month old? Probably. But I'm down with that.

That being said, this toy is awesome! Yes, it does make noise. The sound of an engine being revved, a horn, and a little voice saying "whoohoo!" (That last noise prompts Jbaby to squeal back. It's cute.) It's designed for 6 months and up, with different features as they grow. When the baby is younger, they can shake a "remote control" rattle to make the car go. For babies that aren't quite mobile, turn the front wheel and the car will go around in a circle. Once your little one can move around a bit, you're able to set the wheel to go in a straight line. There's also a roller on top of the car the baby can hit to make the car start.


When the baby shakes the yellow rattle, or hits the orange and blue roller on top of the car, the car starts.


This is the mic that picks up the sound of the rattle. (It also picks up any other loud noise.)

When the yellow front wheel is set straight, the car moves forward. The switch on the right turns the toy on low volume, high volume, and off.

Turned to the right, the car will go in a small circle.

Jbaby checking out the wheels.


Trying out the rattle.















Pros:
*It's a lot of fun for the baby to be able to start the Shake and Crawl Racer on their own.
*Different features for different age groups means the child won't get bored with it after a short amount of time.
*I also like the fact it requires 4 AA batteries, since that's a size we always have on hand.


Cons:
*The car reacts to loud noises. So if the baby cries, you need to turn it off immediately, or it will continue to go.
*Price: I've seen The Lil' Zoomers Shake and Crawl sold anywhere between $24 and $32. It's quite a chunk of money for one toy. (Though I will say it has been worth every penny for us.)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

GroVia Biosoaker Review

On our visit back to the mainland, we needed an alternative to cloth. The thought of toting a bag full of diapers through airports and on a road trip didn’t appeal to me. So, I decided to try out GroVia’s Biosoakers.













These are disposable inserts that fit inside the GroVia or GroBaby shells.













This is another product I really wanted to like. But it wasn’t a hit with me for several reasons. First of all, they’re a bit of a pain to work with. You lay them directly in the shell, and try to wrangle them onto a wiggly baby without them slipping and sliding completely off his bum. (Imagine how much fun that was in a tiny airplane bathroom on a ridiculous excuse for a changing table while trying not to fall down or drop the baby. Yes, loads of fun.) There are sticky tabs on the backs of the inserts. DO NOT USE THE ADHESIVE. It’s meant for use with cotton underwear during potty training.




















We didn’t have any leaks on our first flight, which I found odd since it was the 7 hour flight. The shell was a bit damp after the hour and a half flight. However, after the last flight (1 hour), he was completely soaked. His outfit had to be changed and the shell ended up in the wet bag. On our road trip, they weren’t so bad. A little bit of leakage, but nothing major. Honestly, I wish I had just taken cloth. Especially since EBF poo doesn’t really smell.






















Pros:
*Made with biodegradable and compostable materials.
*Less SAP then disposables, and comparable price.
*Very trim.
Cons:
*Difficult to keep in place while changing.
*Not good for heavy wetters.

Final Verdict: In a pinch, I might use these again. But I’d honestly rather use disposables. Especially since it doesn’t matter how biodegradable or compostable something is if it just goes in a regular trash bag anyway.

Monday, April 4, 2011

I'm back!

Well, the trip to the mainland was awesome! And didn't last nearly long enough. But I was able to try out a lot of new products, and reviews will be up this week. I've got to get unpacked, get everyone back on schedule, write a couple of articles, and welcome my old dog home! So there's quite a bit going on right now!

Hope everyone is doing well, and I'll get some stuff posted ASAP. :)