Car Seat Bag Review

We are traveling to Florida this week and choose to take our 2 car seats with us for convenience and safety.  Instead of taking the ones in our car, we purchased 2 new ones that will go in Grandma and Grandpa's cars when we get back.  Even though they aren't super expensive, we wanted to protect them and travel safe with them on the airplane.  After doing a lot of research, we stumbled upon the AngelBaby Car Seat Bag.  I purchased it off Amazon and could not be happier.  Here is why:

1. The material is very thick and sturdy.  The stitching is even reinforced on the top and bottom.  The drawstring at the top is very thick and made of nice material.  There is no way that this is going to tear!

2. It comes with a very nice little tote to store the bag in.  It folds up easily and can zip right into the tote to store while you are on vacation. 

3. The color is very bright red so it is easily noticeable in the airport or terminal.  It also has an ID pocket for you to slip an ID tag or business card in in case multiple people have the same bag.  

4. It is universal so it fits all different kinds of car seats.  We can use it on our small infant seat and its not too big but it also fits the high-back booster we are traveling with.  

5. It has 2 great straps to carry the bag with.  There is a thick, comfortable shoulder strap (which my husband will likely use in the airport) and also a small little hand strap that can be used quickly.  (These are pictured below).  

Overall, this is an amazing car seat bag and even better than I thought.  We will definitely recommend this to others.

Disclaimer:  I received this product at a heavily discounted rate in exchange for my honest review

Aden + Anais, Favorite Newborn Essential

Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle Blanket Review

credit: Aiden + Anais

Aden + Anais blankets are the best swaddle blankets to own.  They are lightweight, breathable, soft, and very versatile.  They come in five different styles and various prints.  Best of all, these blankets become even softer every time you wash them.

 Link to product:  http://www.adenandanais.com/en-us/content/swaddles/swaddles.aspx

Let me start by saying these blankets are the best baby item there is.

The pros:


1. They are lightweight, soft, and breathable.The fabric these blankets are made out of, whether it is the muslin, bamboo, or merino variety, is very soft.  Additionally they are super easy to travel with and throw in the diaper bag because they are so lightweight.  The breathability of the blanket ensures that your baby does not overheat.  We used these swaddles on our newborn, born in beginning of the 2013 extremely hot summer.  I always used them in the stroller or when we would go to the grocery store.  He seemed extremely comfortable in them and never overheated.


2. They are versatile.We always have at least one in the diaper bag for either of our kids.  They are so versatile and can be used as a swaddle blanket, burp cloth, breastfeeding cover, or carseat cover.  They are large enough to swaddle your baby in but can also fold up and be used as a burp cloth.  I can't even begin to count how many times we have forgotten to put a burp cloth in the diaper bag and these blankets have come in handy.  Folding these blankets in half a couple times makes an excellent burp cloth and is very soft on baby's skin.  As I mentioned above, in the hot summers I frequently use these swaddles to cover the boys' car seats or to cover them when nursing.   It can get hot under the thick nursing covers and car seat covers but the breathability of these is perfect.


3. They only get better with washing.This is the only children's product I know that gets softer and holds up to numerous washes.  Our toddler has had a few of these since he was a newborn.  We use them all the time still for snuggling on car rides and in bed.  Now that he has a little brother, they are being used even more and they still look just as great as when we bought them.  The best part is, they are super soft now.  A lot of blankets we have owned since our toddler was a newborn have pilled or are paper thin.  These are still in excellent condition.


4. They have 5 different styles and great prints.The swaddle blankets come in five different varieties to meet your needs: Classic, Cozy, Organic, Bamboo, and the new Merino.  We currently have a four-pack of the classic and a three-pack of the bamboo.  We love both equally, however they are a little different I have noticed.  The bamboo blankets have a little more of a silky texture to them.  We have only had these for a few months, compared to the classic we have had for almost two years.  The cozy blankets are a little thicker and ideal for cooler environments.  Wouldn't those be nice for these harsh Iowa winters!
The other great thing about these blankets is that they come in the most adorable prints.  My very favorite set is the b-jeweled classic swaddles.  This set features four bright blankets that make great accessories for newborn prints.  Here is a picture of our son in the teal b-jeweled classic swaddle.

credit: Rosa Digital Arts Photography

The cons:
These blankets are a bit pricey.  A single cotton swaddle is priced at $19.99.  The classic four-pack is $49.99. You have to keep in mind these are high-quality blankets that will hold up for years.
Another complaint is they can be difficult to get a good, tight swaddle.  They are quite large and I feel like it took a while to learn how to get a tight swaddle with all the extra fabric.  There is a nice tutorial and video on their website on "how to swaddle" which I found very helpful.
http://www.adenandanais.com/en-us/content/learn+and+share+how+to+swaddle/how-to-swaddle.aspx

These blankets are definitely a must-have on every new mom's registry!  Even though they are a bit pricey, they are versatile and will last you a long time.  They are easy to carry in the diaper bag and the best blanket to swaddle your newborn at night.

Big Updates!

Wow! Our last post was August 11, 2014!  A lot has happened since then!  First off, at the end of August, we moved out of our house in North Liberty and into our new house in Clive.

(Here is Caden in our empty house eating his snack)

 

(Our new house!)

We absolutely love it (and so does Caden).  We had quite the exciting event to top off our moving in weekend.  Matt and I went to a wedding reception for our good friends on Sunday night, August 31.  Even though we were moved in to our new house, we decided to stay with my parents because Caden was sleeping there.  We went home around midnight and went to bed. At about 5 a.m., I woke up terrified that I had just wet the bed- no joke!  I woke Matt up and told him the same- his response was to roll over and go back to bed.  After standing up, I knew exactly what was happening.  After getting together a bag of clothes we set off in our car- but where to go?  University of Iowa, where I was supposed to deliver, was a good two hours away.  Blank Children's Hospital, which has a really good NICU, was 20 minutes away.  I was in absolutely no pain, but knew I was only 35 weeks along.  After a call to my sister, who was working in the PICU at UIHC at the time, we drove to Blank.  Within 2 hours of being admitted, Wesley Yuska was born!  He weighed 6 lbs, 14 ou and is perfect!

Unfortunately, Wes had some trouble breathing the second day so he was transferred to the NICU.  We had excellent nurses, Wes did great, and we were discharged home after a week.  Monday, September 8, 2014 we went home with Wes.

This is big brother Caden with Wes and Dad.  Caden has been excellent with his brother.  He calls him "Weeeee" or "be-be".  He gives him pacifiers (he might suck on a few), brings us burp rags, and picks up the bottles (only to put them in his own mouth :)).  Since I was on bedrest for 6 months while Caden was still little, he is a big daddy's boy.  

He has really done a good job at sharing daddy!

Summer 2014

Here are a few pictures from this summer:  

Caden at Grandpa and Grandma Yuska's farm petting kittens

Caden taking Charlie for a walk

Hiding in the corner (sharing his treats with Charlie)

Helping Poppa wash the car

4th of July 2014

Cool dude with Poppa

Driving around the block in his new car

Driving in his car

Zoo with Cousin Gabe (on the right) 

Orange Leaf with Dad and Aunt Katie

Dairy Queen with Dad

Table Rock Lake 2014

We were thankfully able to go to Table Rock this year to get in a little vacation before baby #2 comes along.  It is a 7 hour car ride- we weren't too sure how Caden would feel about that!

Beginning of the car ride!- Turns out, he slept through most of it and did great!

First night on the boat with Aunt Katie

More boating with Aunt Katie

Caden's favorite thing to do was drive the boat with "Poppa"

Fell asleep at the wheel a few times

Hanging out with Grandma

Tuckered out after a long few days on vacation

Going down the water slide

Splashing in the pool with Dad

Trip to Bass Pro

Last night at the lake

Swinging with Aunt Katie

Last night relaxing with Poppa

Family picture

Caden's picnic outside

In Poppa's boat

In all of his beach gear!

Floating on the lake with Mom, Aunt Katie, and Lainey!

Driving Poppa's boat