A Review Of The Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat - Elite

Okay, I've decided that I'm going to start writing reviews on this blog for some of the baby gear that I've acquired and used over the course of 3 kids. The first one will be the Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat - Elite

There are some things that I love about this seat and some things that I hate. I always prefer to accentuate the positives so let's look at the pros first!!

1. The look - this is a nice looking seat. I thought the black/white/grey theme was kind of nice and the material is a faux suede kind of fiber.

2. The shade - it's HUGE! I love that it covers a large portion of the seat for maximum sun protection. It's also made of a heavy canvas-like material that blocks wind well.

3. Great for small babies - I always felt like my kids' heads were flopping around in classic car seats but with this seat and even with a preemie that doesn't happen. It leaves enough head room for them to grow but not so much that they can get whiplash!

4. The strap-height adjustment dial - why isn't this standard in ALL car seats??? This is one of the main reasons that I bought this seat - you never have to re-thread the straps as your baby gets taller, you just turn the handy dial in the back - GENIUS!!!

5. The easily adjustable base - to change the tilt of the base all you have to do is push in the bar/button and voila, you're done! I never actually had occasion to use this since my backseat is already at a steep angle but I tried it out and it IS easy to use!

Okay...now on to the not-so-great things about the Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat - Elite. Unfortunately all of these together might have been a deal-breaker if I had known about them before I bought it.

1. The buckle - UGH! I totally don't understand the purpose of making it more difficult for a child to get INTO their carseat! It's like a mini jigsaw puzzle because the two pieces have to be fit together JUST RIGHT before they will snap into the other part! There is virtually no way to do this one-handed because I've tried...many times. Just when I think they're fit together perfectly I try to insert them into the base piece and - NADA, no dice, not happening. So if you ever have a squirmy kid (and who doesn't?) you will want to scream and throw this seat into the driveway and run over it. Repeatedly.

2. This is perhaps the DUMBEST thing I've ever heard of and I know that once I tell you, you will be sitting there saying, "WHA???" The pad/cover on this seat is NOT Have you ever tried "blotting" puke, pee, food? Some of you might be saying, "oh I bet it's fine, just throw it in the wash!" I will warn you to do this at your own peril and certanly NOT with anything else! Within the first couple of months of having this, my baby peed all over it (don't ask...)and I took a wet wash cloth and some dish soap and went at some pretty aggressive "blotting". Well, within a couple of seconds the washrag was black and the white piping on the seat was a dingy grey. :(

2.5) I'm not making this a number 3 because I didnt' feel that it necessarily detracted from the seat all that much, but the "Baby Boot" cover that goes over the end of the seat is useless. It came off the seat immediately. I have short kids and it wasn't very long at all before her feet were hitting it and it attaches so loosely that it practically falls off on it's own. The seat covers you can buy seperately are MUCH more useful!

Even though there are 5 pros and only 2 cons, I feel that the 2 cons are SO detrimental as to render this carseat a 2 out of 5 stars. So if you are seriously considering buying the Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat - Elite, you should decide if washability and ease of use are important to you! That being said, it IS safe, it fits the baby well and it does look nice so it's not a horrible seat!

Fussy Baby

You would think that by the third time around I would have figured out most of what there is to know about taking care of a baby but apparently I've missed something along the way! Ella ALWAYS wants to be held! When it first started she wanted to be held because she was in pain due to tummy issues and constipation. Now that we've got most of that out of the way I think she's just gotten used to it. The trouble is that I can't get anything done - EVER! Usually about once a day I can get her to sleep in her swing just long enough to get some work done but the rest of the day? Forget about it! I hate that I'm getting so frustrated about it but I can't help it. It's worst in the evenings when I just want to relax and maybe draw or knit or something but I can't. I don't have a problem with letting her fuss but that's just the problem - she doesn't. She is either happy or literally screaming mad and I don't believe it's healthy to let them scream. I've tried so many different things to help such as gripe water, colic relief, gas drops, a quiet room, a noisy room, the vibrating papasan chair, the Boppy on the floor, tummy time... I can't keep her happy! I'm truly having a tough time with this but I'm hoping that it's just a phase that she's going through and that she will soon be able to be put down for even just 20-30 minutes without getting mad. I try not to let it get me down and to enjoy the time I spend holding her because I know it will pass far too quickly and it is truly a blessing from God. I just want her to be able to feel happy and relaxed no matter where she is. *sigh*

We're back baby!

So I've decided to start blogging again and I'm hoping that I can make a little moolah out of the deal!! We'll see if I can stick with it this time since it's been so long since I posted last! I also just realized that desperately need to update my profile on here because it currently states that I'm a 28 year old mother of three and I am now a 30 year old mother of 4!!! Baby Ella is so sweet and fabulous. A little high maintenance but totally worth it! I'm so glad that she's here and I think it's awesome that her bday is on the 4th of July and I hope that she loves it as well and doesn't feel cheated that her birthday is on a holiday. Although I suppose we will have to have her birthday parties on another day or nobody will ever be able to make it! My latest "ventures" include the artform otherwise known as Zentangling! It's the perfect artform for people that can't draw at all and it's also quite cathartic! Well, that's enough for now - I wouldn't want the gears to start smoking!

The Pickle Poem

Okay, I wrote this goofy poem the other day and I just thought I would share it and hopefully you'll get a kick out of it like I did!!

I once met a pickle
on the way to the zoo
he was wearing a top hat
and wingtip shoes

He gave me a nod
and said, “Good day.”
I was flabbergasted, flummoxed,
simply blown away

“How can this be?”
I asked, amazed,
“pickles can't speak
I must be crazed!”

“Oh you're perfectly sane,
and your brain is workin'
I'm a walkin', talkin',
well-dressed Gherkin.”

“I once was a cucumber
plain and simple
with nary a mouth,
nose, eyes or dimple.”

“I rolled off the table
and into a jigger
filled to the brim
with radioactive vinegar!”

“When they pulled me out,
I gasped for air
then I rand the vinegar
out of my hair.”

“I donned these fine threads
and for something to do,
set out on a walk
to this nearby zoo.”

I said to the pickle,
“That's quite the story!”
then the pickle walked off
in all his briny glory

I'm sorry to say
his tale ended there
for my tasty little friend
became lunch for a bear!

The lesson we can learn
from this tale of pickled misery
is that a walking, talking pickle
is still food to a grizzly!

Thank you, thank you...I'll be here all week, tip your waitress!

Cleaning, cooking, crocheting and baby teeth!

Do you ever have a day, week or month when it seems like you just can't keep up no matter what? I always think that I'm going to have plenty of time in each day to do all the things that I want to accomplish, but I often find myself laying in bed at night thinking, "Did I do ANYTHING today?" Then I wake up the next morning to a pile of dirty dishes, baskets full of laundry that needs to be put away, toys covering the floor, a bathroom that needs cleaned and a whole new list of things that need to be done on top of the things that I didn't get done yesterday! About the time that I convince myself that I'm the norm and not the exception, I run into someone else that seems to have it all together and I feel bad about myself again. Sometimes the only thing that keeps me from being too down about it is the fact that my kids will never say that their mom never played with them and they will always have memories of all of us dancing around the house amongst the dirty dishes, piles of laundry and toys strewn about.

If you are one of those moms that can do it all, I truly commend you - it is an awesome feat and you should be awarded some sort of medal! But, if you're more like me and you have moments of guilt because you work too much and your house is a mess or you didn't have time to cook and dinner came in the form of mac and cheese, or your "closet" is a laundry basket full of clean clothes, just remember; you are working to provide for your family, kids LOVE mac and cheese and your kids look just as cute in a wrinkled t-shirt as in a well-pressed dress or pair of slacks!!! It is most certainly about the quality of the time you spend with your children than the quantity, especially since most kids have the attention span of a goldfish and you probably don't play dolls right anyway! :)

As far as the baby teeth thing goes, can somebody PLEASE invent a pencil, piece of paper or book that is safe for teething? Because Piper sure doesn't want to chew on any actual teething toys! Do any of you have any suggestions for teething toys that actually work? I've tried the cool washcloth and that was a no-go, cold fruit in her mesh feeder works, but is all too temporary and necessary. She's not very uncomfortable, just "chewy!"

My Etsy shop is open for business!!

I am so excited that I finally have my Etsy Shop up and running and have even sold my first item!! I have been having a blast creating my hair clips and am currently working on some adorable baby booties to add to my inventory! I would be honored if you would check out my shop HERE and tell me what you think!

Piper has been changing crazy fast and I'm always amazed at how fast the past 8 months have gone by! In just the last week she has learned how to clap, pull herself up on the furniture and has even gotten her first tooth! In true Piper fashion, she has not fussed for even one second of teething, so I hope she continues on this way through all of them.

I will admit that I am actually pretty sad to see her gummy smile go, it's one of my favorite things in the whole world, but it's inevitable and I can't stop it anyhow, so I will just enjoy her toothless grin for a few more days before that new tooth really starts to show! I hope you all have a blessed day and thanks for reading!

Christmas & The New Year

It has been an amazing holiday season for me and my family and a busy one too! The kids got absolutely spoiled over the course of 3 full days of Christmas! We spent the 23rd with my oldest sister, Patti, who I haven't seen in 4 years - it was so nice to see her and her wonderful kids and her husband! We learned how to play a new game called The Great Dalmuti (not sure if I'm spelling that right!) wherein whoever came in last place got the honor of being the Greater Peon and wore a fashionable toilet paper headband!!!

On the 24th we spent the evening with my awesome mother-in-law and had some pizza! The kids were spoiled some more and Alora got a Rapunzel doll that is actually about 2 inches taller than she is! The next day we went to my Grandma's house for Christmas dinner where I stuffed myself silly at dinner and then still found room for a chocolate peanut butter pie - YUM!

Since then I have been busy at work crocheting because I am going to be opening my own Etsy store. If you haven't checked out Etsy.com,then you really need to stop by there. It is jam-packed with awesome handmade goods and vintage items - it's one of my favorite places to shop online! As soon as I get my store up and going, I will most certainly be putting a link here on my blog. I'm hoping that the new year brings all sorts of good things for you and your family as well as mine too! God Bless and Happy New Year!