Reviews by chaikc

chaikc says "Wonderfully Soothing and Refreshing!!!" about Village Naturals Natural Mineral Bath Soak

chaikc — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:15:33 GMT

Some of the ingredients in this product:

Chamomile (soothing)
Spearmint & Menthol (refreshing)
Epsom Salts
Vitamins A, B2, C, E
Sea Salt

I received this product as a gift from a friend to soothe aches and pains after the delivery of my first baby. However, I didn't really like the cool feeling my skin got from the menthol after I sat in the bath for a bit. Although I don't use it as a bath soak anymore, I still give the product 5 stars as I have found other uses for it that, for me, have been outstanding.

First of all, when I have a bad cold with terrible congestion, I sprinkle some of the bath salts on the floor of a hot shower. As they disolve and mix with the steam, the spearmint and menthol help sooth and relax. I think it's kind of the same idea as "Shower Soothers" but those tablets are more expensive and don't last as long. This comes in a 20 oz container and you can sprinkle more in the shower as needed.

I also always kept them close by throughout my second pregnancy. Fourteen weeks...

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chaikc says "Safety and Comfort" about Evenflo Triumph DLX Convertible Car Seat

chaikc — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:11:07 GMT

My daughter loves her carseat. We first got the Triumph DLX when she turned 1 and she loves to use her car seat. She will even crawl into it when we have it just sitting in the living room. We travel a lot and this seat has soft, cushioned fabric and can recline without having to unbuckle your child. (It does take some maneuvering, though!)

It is very easy to adjust the straps as your child grows and to tighten/loosen them after they are buckled in.

I did find it a pain to have to take out a lot of screws just so I could get the cover off to wash it. It became quite a project.

I do like that it is both rear/forward facing. However, it is bulky and does not work well rear-facing in a small car. If you have one or two kids, it should be fine, but it takes up too much room if you are wanting to fit three in the back seat.

It is heavy and awkward to move between vehicles, but does buckle in very easily.

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chaikc says "Baby loves it!" about Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing

chaikc — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:48:20 GMT

I did a lot of research online looking at different swings and knew I wanted a cradle swing. Fisher Price is a brand I trust and once again they came through with five stars.

The rocking motion is very soothing along with the different music and sounds. The fabric is soft and easy to take off, throw in the wash, then hook back on again. It is easy to switch from the front-to-back rocking to the cradle motion while baby is in the swing.

It was especially helpful when my daughter got a cold at 4 months. She slept well in the swing as she could sit reclined, making it easier for her to breathe with the congestion.

We kept the swing right by our bed and the soft lights made it easy for me to nurse her at night.

I do find it difficult to change the chair between the two reclining positions. It also uses four D batteries at a time that can get used up quickly if you use several options at once (the rocking motion, music, lights and mobile)

Worth the investment as both of our girls went through...

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chaikc says "The only thing that worked" about Burt's Bees Ba Bee Diaper Ointment 1.75 oz

chaikc — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:14:45 GMT

This is an amazing product! I first got the Baby Bee diaper ointment as a gift two years ago and now always keep some on hand. I had tried quite a few other products and so far this is the only diaper ointment that always works to clear up diaper rash, often after just one changing.

It smells wonderful going on and keeps baby smelling fresh. I love that a little bit goes a long way. Our second baby is 8 months into diapers and we're barely into our third tube of Burt's Bees.

The paste is easy to wipe on and works best if you rub it in so it absorbs into the skin, otherwise it will just wipe off on the diaper.

I love that it is made of almost all-natural ingredients.

Baby never cries when I put this on, even if she has broken skin.

Applying a thin layer at bedtime and at different changes throughout the day also helps keep baby's skin soft and has helped keep my baby from getting diaper rashes as well.

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chaikc says "Not a necessity, but nice to have" about Bumbo Baby Seat

chaikc — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:38:14 GMT

This made feeding baby much easier early on. At 5 months, our daughter was ready for baby food, but wasn't quite big enough for our high chair. This way she could sit secure and I could focus on feeding her without having to keep her from sliding around in the chair or distract her from chewing on the tray.

Convenience~ during the day I can bring the Bumbo into the living room to feed her so I can watch my toddler play at the same time. Being able to bring it along on trips has been helpful too.

I can put my daughter in the Bumbo on the floor with a bucket of toys beside her while I am cooking dinner. She will sit and play happily, a safe distance from the cooking, but also able to be near and see me. This was especially helpful before she was crawling and wanted to be sitting up seeing all that was going on.

It is fun to watch her and my toddler interact while she is sitting in the Bumbo. My older daughter will bring my younger one toys to play with and "read" to her. The Bumbo gives...

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