Review: Sunshine Kids Warm N' Go Insulate Bottle Warmer

Recently, I had to read through a bunch of reviews on travel bottle warmers. It was not at all fun. Honestly, none of them got great reviews and the prices really varied as far as I could tell. I decided to go with one that received relatively decent reviews and a reasonable price (just in case it was a big flop). The one I purchased was the Sunshine Kids Warm N' Go Insulate Travel Bottle Warmer, for about $10.

Here is the criteria I was hoping it would meet: Reasonable price, portability, ease of use, and effective aka would actually warm up a bottle. I was not looking for a long-term solution or something that I planned to use even somewhat frequently. I needed it to effectively heat up frozen breast milk in a bottle in a reasonable amount of time without overheating the milk.

The Warm N' Go did just that. It fit my needs exactly. It just plugs into the cigarette lighter and isn't at all bulky like other warmers on the market, but soft, insulating material with a little stretch to it (it's stretch-neoprene). It heated up my frozen breast milk in about 10 minutes, if not less. It didn't seem to overheat the milk, but I didn't keep the bottle in the heater once the milk was warm. It was very easy to use--no buttons, switches or settings to mess up. Just plug in and go. If it doesn't fit in your cup holder, it has a loop to hang from the dashboard.

Overall, this is a fabulous buy if you're looking for a bottle warmer. It's an inexpensive solution to a common problem and it's very effective.

Review: Kiss My Face Kids Mineral Sunblock Lotion

Looking for a great mineral sunblock that doesn't leave your children looking like a white chalk monster and not full of unnecessary chemicals? That's exactly what I was looking for when I found Kiss My Face's Kids Mineral Sunblock.

It blends in with skin, so you don't get that sticky white layer that you basically need a Brillo pad to remove. It does leave some white residue, but nothing more than what you would get with any other sunblock. However, it did seem to require quite a bit of product to cover Baby Ruffles at least comparing what I was used to applying on myself with other sunblocks. I did not test the sunblock on myself.

It has an creamy consistency. However, once it was applied it would clump slightly if you added more to spots you thought you missed or didn't layer thickly enough. It seemed to absorb well and didn't seem to wear off during the recommended 40 minutes of water play between applications.

There isn't a strong odor or scent to it. It doesn't have that typical sunscreen scent either.

Overall, it seemed to do the job (no sun burns or tans and no rashes on Baby Ruffle's sensitive skin!) and it is reasonably priced compared to other mineral sunblocks for babies at about $10.

CJ's BUTTer Product Review

Did you know that most diaper creams create build-up and sometimes staining on cloth diapers? This build-up causes wicking or leaking. There are several diaper rash products out there that are effective. A list of them with ratings can be found here.

I chose CJ's BUTTer to solve Baby Ruffle's rash issues due to rave reviews, especially about the wonderful scents available. I was not at all disappointed! Now I understand why it's widely known as "the miracle in a tube"!

CJ's BUTTer is silky smooth, requiring small amounts of product to fully coat a baby's bottom. It's not sticky or thick, yet it doesn't just wipe right off during diaper changes. "Butter" is a great name for the product because that's a perfect description of what it feels like. It goes on smooth. I've never liked smearing thick or sticky product on Baby Ruffle's already sore bottom, so the smoothness is a big plus for me. I felt like I was soothing her bottom instead of irritating it.

As far as effectiveness goes, CJ's BUTTer clears rashes right up. I apply it at the first sign of redness and the redness disappears the next day. Even those times when she's gotten a rash, CJ's worked great. For example, Baby Ruffles woke up last week with a nasty looking ammonia burn. I used CJ's BUTTer on her all day with every change and the next morning the burn was gone. I believe CJ's BUTTer works even better than my old popular zinc oxide diaper rash creams.

As for cloth diaper usage, I have had no problems with CJ's BUTTer creating build-up or staining my diapers. I have noticed a slight oily residue after washing my diapers, but it has never lasted more than 2-3 washes. Perhaps I just need to wash any diaper used with the BUTTer an extra time before allowing them to dry, but I haven't given that a try.

Okay, now on to the real reason I love this product: the delicious smell. Yes. I said "delicious"! CJ's BUTTer has an impressive list of fragrances to choose from like "Warm Vanilla Cake", "Coconut Lime Dream", "Apples and Spice", and the eyebrow raising "Monkey Farts" (apparently it smells like bananas and other yummy fruits). It's incredibly tempting to try them all. I picked "Blueberry Crumble" after reading many recommendations for that particular scent. It smells so wonderful. My mouth actually waters just imagining blueberry crumble when I use it...not something at all expected during a diaper change!! The smell doesn't just wear off. Baby Ruffles smells delicious all day. It's truly fabulous. Having said all that, they do offer an unscented version for those extra sensitive to fragrances.

Luckily for me, CJ's BUTTer is not just for diaper rashes. Baby Ruffles gets crusty, dry skin behind her ears. I decided to try the teeniest bit of CJ's BUTTer on it and it cleared it right up. Not to mention, she smelled like blueberry crumble and not spit up when I gave her kisses and cuddles! CJ's website boasts a long list of uses for their BUTTer including eczema, chapped skin, rug burns, and even leave-in conditioner! They also have a new yeast formula just for those pesky yeast infections.

CJ's BUTTer comes in a tube, tub or even a stick version and is sold by several online retailers, including their own website.

How to Not Fall into Debt While Using Deal Sites

Deal sites are fun and exciting. You try to grab the next deal before it sells out. The deep discounts can be oh so very tempting. Next thing you know, you find yourself considering $40 fleece lovey that was featured in "O" magazine because it's super cheap...Seriously?? Time to put the credit card down!

Here are a few tips to keep your head on straight and your credit card in your wallet!

-Before you click "Buy", check the shipping costs. Often the additional cost of shipping makes your "deal" a few dollars short of full price.

-Instead  of just hoping to find a good deal, you want to have items you need in mind. Make a (mental) list. Say, cloth diapers, amber teething necklace or sleep sacks are on your list. When a deal pops up for cute bibs or burp cloths, you don't have to consider buying them if they aren't on your "need" list. Often I'll scan deal sites and don't even bother looking at the deal if I don't see a key word from my "need" list.

-Avoid buying sized items, unless you already know the size you need from that specific brand. Remember, deal sites cannot accept returns.

-Remember, it's only a bargain if it's something you need or were planning to purchase beforehand. Otherwise, you're just spending money.

-Always have a good idea of the regular price of the item before you purchase. Sometimes the price listed on the deal site as the previous cost is higher than actual retail price on several other sites. Do a price comparison before you buy unless you know the price!!

-If you need the item by a certain date, be sure to check for any notifications that shipping will be delayed. These notifications are usually toward the bottom of the page.


Happy Shopping!

For a list of baby deals sites, click here.

My Baby Shopping Secret (Deal Sites)

Everyone knows babies cost money. Luckily, despite the fact that we live in the time of big, expensive yet essential buys like car seats, we also live in the age of the internet. Specifically, websites dedicated to deals for moms. Most of the time when I'm asked where I bought one of my baby products, it's from a deal site. Here's my favorite sites for baby details:

http://www.babysteals.com/ This site offers TWO deals a day, 9am and 9pm, that are up to 80% off and once they are sold out...they're out. They mostly have clothing, diaper bags, and that sort of thing. I get their email notifications, but often by the time I get them, they are sold out. They are on Facebook and always post info on their deals. Here's a link to their archives, some of which are still up for grabs. http://www.babysteals.com/dailydeals/archive.php (Hint: they also have sister sites called kidsteals.com and scrapbooksteals.com)

http://www.babyearth.com/baby-sale  You can score serious deals on this site. It works like this: From 9am - 5pm CST every hour, on the hour there is a new deal. It's starts out full price, but every second that goes by the price drops one cent. The catch? You have to wait for the best deal you can while hoping the deal isn't sold out. (I noticed today that it's usually sold out by/before 50% off) This site is actually a lot of fun. Once an item pops up that you want, it's link an invisible auction. It's a bit of a rush when you manage to get a deep discount. Be careful--they can sell out faster than you think! This site also has "open box" and "scratch & dent" (stuff slightly damaged during shipping) discounted items like strollers to bassinets for sale.

http://www.mamabargains.com/ This site has multiple deals a day. When one deal sells out, it's replaced with a new one. From strollers to hair clips to baby clothes, they have a huge mixture of deals. They also have a Facebook page.

Deal-a-day sites:

http://babyhalfoff.com/

http://www.motherofadiscount.com/

http://www.mamasretreat.com/

http://www.greenbabybargains.com/

https://www.ecobabybuys.com/ (Great site to find cloth diaper deals!)

http://www.minibargainz.com/ (Canadian based site. Watch out for shipping charges)

http://kids.woot.com/

http://www.geniusbabies.com/deal-of-the-day.html

Coupon/Discount Code Sites:

http://www.momondealz.com/

http://www.momsview.com/adeptbaby.shtml

http://www.babycheapskate.com (this is a great site to keep track of deals online and in stores!)

http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/babies

http://www.dailyedeals.com/coupons/baby.htm

http://www.babycenter.com/free-baby-stuff

http://freebies4mom.com/category/1-freebies/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/mom/signup/welcome