Reviews by charis-787

charis-787 says "Quality toys/furniture - search by age, brand, category, etc." about Oompa Toys

charis-787 — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:24:04 GMT

I love this website. Categories include: Art Supplies, Baby Toys, Bath Time, Books & Bookmarks, Building & Stacking, Dollhouses and Accessories, Dolls & Stuffed Animals, Early Learning, Games, Kitchen & Store Play, Musical Instruments, Organic, Outdoor Toys, Pretend Play & Dress Up, and Puzzles. Plus you can earn points good toward money off future purchases. Per their website: "Earn 2.5 points for every dollar spent on Oompa Toys merchandise or gift cards. Every 45 points gets $1.00 off a future order."

I have purchased painted wooden toys for my toddler son (he's not quite 2) and have not been disappointed. Very sturdy, non-toxic, no batteries required. And no Elmo, Sponge Bob, or Dora anywhere! There are more options for younger children (infant to 2-year-olds) on this website than there seem to be on most other heirloom-quality, educational, natural-toy websites. Finally, the shipping cost is VERY reasonable: $4.95 for orders under $65, and FREE shipping for orders over $65. Ordering......

charis-787 says "Not happy with the Language Discovery cards" about Baby Einstein Flashcards

charis-787 — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:56:11 GMT

WHAT I LIKE: The names of the items are in the back in many different languages, the cards have guided instructions on how to use the cards with your children, and several cards can be grouped so your child can learn sorting/classification (e.g., vehicles, birds, food).

WHAT I DON'T LIKE: This set contains mainly pictures of toys, e.g., dog puppet, stuffed duck that doesn't look all that much like a duck, old-fashioned toy car, etc. Plus, the Language Discovery set has odd cards in it: Futuristic toy robot? (Toy) horn that my child will never see anywhere till he's in junior high band? I was really disappointed NOT to find realistic photos of actual items (e.g., photo of a real, live dog!). Realistic photos of things commonly seen are what help babies learn best....

charis-787 says "Only formula clinically proven to improve brain/eye development" about Enfamil Lipil Formula with Iron

charis-787 — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:39:27 GMT

This is the only formula that, when compared to other formulas (NOT TO BREAST MILK) is clinically proven to enhance baby's brain and eye development. It's levels of DHA and ARA are the closest to breast milk, when compared with other formulas. Also, it's sweetened with lactose, as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. (Corn syrup is difficult to digest.) This formula mixes more thoroughly than the Similac we tried, although it still tends to produce a few chunks that get stuck in the nipple, making it difficult for young babies to drink it down. The company will mail coupons to you. You can purchase this cheaply at Target or Wal-Mart.

BUT BABIES SHOULDN'T BE DRINKING FORMULA, unless deemed medically necessary by a physician for reasons such as baby being adopted, mom's milk containing unsafe levels of medication, etc. This is because babies have porous guts until 6 months of age, so the cow's milk and/or soy (both of which are ALLERGENS) gets into the baby's body when it's not supposed to.......

charis-787 says "VERY safe/easy to use, a bit heavy/a bit large - still love it" about Chicco Cortina Travel System

charis-787 — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:03:02 GMT

Pros: This travel system is very safe, easy to use, easy to clean, and durable. Cons: It's expensive and heavy; the car seat is a bit long for compact cars and doesn't easily fit in all shopping carts; and the car seat/stroller seat material not as breathable as cotton.

CAR SEAT: The Cortina car seat is the safest there is, though it is a bit long for our Honda Civic's back seat. It does fit in the center of the back seat, though, which is the safest location for a baby seat. The car is also the easiest to put into the car seat base, bar none, which leads to less back strain. It has a storage compartment for toys in the front of it, but I've never used it; it's not that easily accessible. The car seat does fit in shopping carts if you put is sideways on the narrow end of the cart. The seat material cleans easily, but is not as breathable as cotton (that's the trade-off).

STROLLER: The stroller itself opens and folds in one step; they say you can do it one-handed, which you can, but not super......

charis-787 says "Spout and handles only OK" about Gerber Soft Starter Spill-Proof 6 oz Cup

charis-787 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:19:11 GMT

The nipple/spout on this cup is slanted on one side, which made it difficult for my baby to latch onto it when first learning how to drink from a cup. This produce is touted as baby's first cup, but I don't believe that this nipple shape is effective at helping baby transition from breast (or even bottle) to cup....

charis-787 says "It might not spill, but it sure does leak." about Nuby 10 oz No Spill Cup with soft silicone spout

charis-787 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:08:55 GMT

Water does not spill out the nipple when tipped (i.e., when baby is drinking), but water leaks out the side of the lid when the cup is tipped (e.g., in diaper bag or sometimes even when baby is drinking). I would NOT recommend this item. I didn't give it 1 star, because it is still a safe item. But I gave it only 2 stars, even though I like the nipple softness and shape (in fact, the softness and shape of the entire top of the cup) because it's more like a mother's breast, so in that regard it was better than the Gerber cup that I tried....