Well, Swiffer my Floors and Call me Shirley!

Heaven knows why you'd call me Shirley, but my floors are Swiffered! I don't do product reviews very often, but when the Swiffer people asked me if I'd review their Swiffer SweeperVac, I couldn't resist. Images of granola crumbs and onion skins on my kitchen floor sprung to mind, and I couldn't answer "yes" quickly enough when asked if I wanted one.

Unlike the Swiffer WetJet, you don't have to spray anything on your floor first, which is a big plus for this chemical-free, vinegar toting mama. The Vac still has one of those Swiffer cloths attached to it, and you go over your floor once with the vacuum off, then go at it again with the vacuum on. I'm a busy mom with lots of corner-cutting experience, so I've forgone that part and had no problem.

As long as no one spills an entire bag of flax seed on the floor, this vac should do the job. It's more for the in-between jobs and has a small filter and removable dust catcher, so it's great for getting those little thingies off the floor that toddlers like to pinch at and then store in their cheeks. Oh, and it gets under the fridge and stove where the really big dust bunnies hide.

The best part? It's cordless. The Swiffer Vac plugs in to charge and then you're off. I use this thing at least once a day, as I am not the neatest chef on the block. I'll even admit I have fun cleaning with it! (Just don't let my husband know I used "cleaning" and "fun" in the same sentence. He might start calling me Shirley.)

Baby Jamz Toys - A Smash Hit or a Sour Note?

Music was a big part of my upbringing. In fact, I have a nice little setup in the basement where I can go plunk around and write my own electronic music. So for me, surrounding my son with various types of music is essential. That's why when I was asked to take a look at a couple Baby Jamz toys created by the father and sister of Beyonce Knowles, I said I would. The toys feature hip hop nursery rhymes sung by Solange Knowles, and are meant to inspire musical creativity. I decided to check out the Baby Jamz dance mat and their mix master chair, the two items they feel will be most popular.

The Mix Master Chair claims "kids can create several renditions of each nursery rhyme by pressing three different buttons that light up and provide hours of fun." I have to say I was disappointed to discover the sound effects aren't even in the same key as the songs. For those of you who may not know much about music, this means it hurts your ears to hear them played together. Children can't really "mix" tunes, either. It's really just a matter of pressing sound effect buttons as the song plays. The songs recycle three times each after pressing a button, with two verses each round - that means you hear it six times before the toy turns off. For a tired mom who has listened to lots of discordant noise all day, ouch!

The Dance Mat is somewhat better, and my son does like to hop around on it. The sound effects, while they aren't always on key with the songs, seem less offensive to my ears, and it's also not as loud as the chair. I found the songs more catchy on this one too.

So are the toys beneficial for teaching your children about music? I would say no to the chair and somewhat to the dance mat. There are three other toys in the line, however, and maybe those prove to be different. But since it turns out the toys are made in China and we've all had quite a scare as of late, I don't feel it's something I'm totally comfortable recommending to my readers. Although the chair has very little paint, the dance mat has quite a bit. However, I happened to get the toys a few days before receiving the Homax lead test kits that I blogged about yesterday, so I thought I'd test the two toys out. They both tested free of lead for the surface paints.

Overall, I guess I'm like a lot of parents out there lately - I'm leaning more and more towards the natural toys, and although I still have plastic toys in the house and some are even (gasp) battery operated, I'm getting more and more selective as time progresses. I'm still on the hunt for those musical toys, though, because my electronica may be a little amateurish, but when my BRILLIANT son gets older, I'll need a backup singer who plays the drums. Because mama can't sing, darnit.

Testing Your Own Toys for Lead - So Easy a Clown Could Do It!

Can you test your own toys for lead at home? That's a common question lately. It's been covered on Consumer Reports, and there is plenty of discussion bouncing around the blogosphere as to how well home tests actually work. With a new batch of toys coming into most homes this Christmas season, checking them for lead doesn't sound like such a bad idea to me.

I myself was really curious about the home tests, so I contacted a company I'd read up on called Homax. They have an inexpensive test called LeadCheck that did well according to Consumer Reports. Homax enthusiastically agreed to let me review their product. As soon as I got the tests, I lined up several of our toys, including two I'm posting a review on very shortly.

The tests were quite simple to use: Two small glass vials are housed in a cigarette-shaped tester. You squeeze the tester until the two vials break, shake it once or twice, and while squeezing the tube, rub the swab directly on the surface you want to test. If the swab turns pink or red, you've got lead.

Now, the thing with home tests such as this is you are testing for surface lead. It doesn't equal studies done in a laboratory that would find embedded lead. But if you are concerned as I have been that the paint on a toy could be scraped off by little teeth, then this is a great way to find out whether or not you have to ditch a plaything.

So did I find any lead? Yes, but not where you may suspect. All the toys I checked were fine, including the ones I'll share a review with you about. But after reading in the Consumer Reports article that lead can be found in brass keys, I checked mine out. One key turned the swab a light pink - not a drastic amount of lead, but enough to let me know it's there. And car keys are a common way to occupy a baby while on an outing. I've never been keen on this form of baby distraction, simply because keys seem like a dirty item to me, but I had no idea they could have lead! Thanks to the Homax test, I'll be telling my friends to keep those keys away from their little ones.

Overall, my advice is this: After the Christmas chaos has settled down, get yourself a few inexpensive lead tests like LeadCheck. Take the time to check out your new toys. Don't depend on the results as the final say, however. If you have a gut feeling about a toy that checked out okay, set it aside anyway. And keep an eye on the recalls! Unfortunately, I'm sure we haven't heard the end of them yet. Maybe with the help of some do-it-yourself lead tests, we can not only keep our children safer, we can publicize our findings to help other families stay safe too.

(NOTE: Despite my intense dislike for clowns, the above pictured passed the lead test.)

(Another note: Here's a helpful article to read by Homax as well.)

A Little Christmas Music

If you've been bouncing around the blogosphere much these days, you've probably heard about the Michael W. Smith CD giveaway they had last week. I got my copy in the mail yesterday, and I played it while doing a little decorating. The first thing I do every year for Christmas preparations is to get out my Christmas breakables. Okay, so I can't put out much of it this year due to one toddling guy with a penchant for just-out-of-reach no-no's, but at least I was able to bring out a little holiday niceness. Anyway, the CD really was a lovely soundtrack for my activities. I am an old-school Michael W. Smith fan; been with him since the (gasp) '80s when he was known for his beard and his new-fangled Christian rock. Yes, way back when people still asked, "What the heck is Christian rock?" I gotta say, this CD didn't disappoint me at all. It's got that feel-good quality that Smith always gave me as a teen needing an emotional boost.

Most of the time, I have to hear a new Christmas CD several times before it feels like my own; new Christmas music doesn't feel like Christmas to me at first! But this one sure does. If you want to hear a few more samples, you can hop on over to this site where there are a few songs online. Christmas Angels must be my favorite because I keep humming it! (Little Guy loves the bells.)

Book Review and Giveaway!

I am so excited! (Can you hear my voice shake?) It's time for my second book giveaway. That's right, I have two copies of "Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah? The Essential Scoop on Raising Modern Jewish Kids" by Sharon Duke Estroff, M.A.T. Now, if you're a Jewish mom, you're probably already skimming through the text here to find out how you can win. But if you're a Christian mom like myself or a mom of any other distinction, read on. Believe me, you'll like this book too.

Insightful and humorous, "Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah?" covers many of the parenting issues us mommy bloggers banter about every day, such as choosing a kindergarten to teaching your children the value of a dollar. Estroff writes in a fun and catchy rhythm that makes her down-to-earth advice a joy to read, including text peppered with Jewish references that add flavor and voice. In fact, I may just start referring to my own son as "my little bubbelah"!

Most of this book is totally relatable, no matter what your religion. But if you're a Jewish mom who wants to know, "What do we do about the whole Santa thing?" that's covered too, as well as a section on Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. The bottom line is, if you want to know how to raise your children to be well-rounded, moral people in an ever-more materialistic world, this book will help you along. I'm certainly keeping my copy for a re-read when my son enters the school years! So no, you can't have that one.

But as I said, I have two others to give away! Simply leave a comment on this post, along with your email address in a format like this: themommyspot (at) gmail (dot) com. ( I'm told spammers can't use it then.) I'll hold the drawing next Friday, November 23rd, and the winners will be announced that afternoon.

NOTE: Contest will close at 12:00 noon EST on Nov. 23rd.

ScreamFree Parenting Book Review and Giveaway!

I'm very excited to have the first ever Mommy Spot Giveaway. I've been asked to review the book ScreamFree Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel, LMFT. In addition, I will be giving away FIVE free copies of the book! I received my copy on Friday and read the entire thing in two days, which is no small feat with a toddler in the house. I simply could not put the book down.

I don't know how many times I've read in reviews or heard authors say, "This book is not just for (enter here - flyfishers, underground sous chefs, billionaire button-makers). The information I provide pertains to everyone!" I always think, "What a bunch of hooey. I'm not going to buy it if even the title doesn't apply to me." Alas, I have found the one book that, in essence, can apply to anyone. That's because the definition of ScreamFree, as provided by the author in the book, is this: "...learning to relate with others in a calm, cool, and connected way, taking hold of your own emotional responses no matter how anyone else chooses to behave; learning to focus on yourself and take care of yourself for the world's benefit." And that, dear friends, applies to everyone.

Of course, in this book, parenting is the focus. It's done brilliantly with entertaining stories, humor, and practicality. Oftentimes parenting books leave me feeling guilty, overwhelmed, and inefficient. I start to doubt my own instincts; heaven knows moms do that well enough on their own without a professional telling them where they're falling short. But I found this book reassuring and calming because it's not about manipulating your child with clever tricks and word games. It's about looking inward and changing the only person you truly can change - yourself.

What results, I feel, is a better way of seeing your children (or anyone) for who they are; of seeing difficult situations truthfully and not through those fear goggles we often get. I found the principles here sound and logical. Shifting your thinking and your approach to communicating with your children, as presented here, helps keep situations from escalating and teaches the child self-reliance, problem solving, and how to think for themselves. This book is about personal growth - not techniques or behavior modification. It's about taking care of yourself so you are able to take care of those you love, stepping back from tough scenarios so you can see the truth and face it with calm; it's about learning to react appropriately to a child's inappropriate behavior, without losing control. I closed the book feeling like saying, "Let's do it! I'm ready now."

If you're intrigued by this review and you live in the U.S., you can enter here to win one of the five copies of ScreamFree Parenting. Just leave me a message in the comments box, telling me one way you try to stay calm or focused while raising your kids. It doesn't have to be a term paper - if you can manage to say it in three words, go for it. I'll put all the names in a hat (or a sippy cup), and with the help of my trusty marital assistant, I shall draw out five names and post them here on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007. Until then, I will be taking a much-needed computer sabbatical. So hit that comment button - how do you stay ScreamFree?

*** If you put a link to this contest in your next blog post (anytime before Sunday, Septemer 16, 2007), I'll enter you in an additional drawing for a special surprise! (Okay, I admit - no idea what it is yet. But it'll be cool - I promise!) Just leave me a message in the comments here, so I can enter your name. ***

Make Your Own Soymilk!

It's official. I've jumped off the deep end. It started with my decision to give my son soymilk instead of cow's milk. Then came the dreaded reading of the ingredient panels on all my favorite soymilks. One of the recurring ingredients was sugar or some form thereof. Other items popped up on the list that seemed completely unnecessary, and I didn't know what the heck they were either. So I started digging for info on how to make your own soymilk, and to my surprise I found there are soymilk makers out there! Naturally, I bought one.

The model I bought is called Soyabella from Tribest. It looks a lot like the old percolator coffee pots and has a mesh basket inside to put about 1/2 cup soaked soybeans. A small blade like a blender's blade is attached to the lid of the pot, and this fits into the mesh basket. I fill the pot about halfway with water, plug the unit in, and hit the Milk button. In 15 minutes the soymilk is done!

Homemade soymilk is probably not for the faint at heart, but if you're already used to commercial soymilk, adjusting isn't very difficult. The Soyabella claims there's no beany aftertaste, but I'd say there is a wee bit of an aftertaste, if not exactly beany. I still doctor the milk up a bit with some honey (my son is 15 months old - under a year it's not advised to give honey) and a little vanilla. Overall, I find the end result quite good, especially when it's still warm. The maker also comes with a booklet with optional recipes for other soymilks, nutmilks, and even soups and stews. I tried one of the soup recipes today, and it was surprisingly easy to do. Two large bowls of soup were ready for lunch in just over 15 minutes.

Cleanup was a little tricky at first, but now that I've learned to soak the basket in water right away so the beans don't stick, it takes me less than five minutes to clean. As long as I get to it right away, all the soy residue washes off quickly.

Overall, I really like using the machine. It's quick and easy, and I'm now paying less than 10 cents a quart for soymilk, as opposed to $2 - $3! I've made close to two dozen batches, and it's become part of my morning routine. Besides, it is a nice feeling knowing what my son gets is fresh and preservative free!

Note: This is NOT an endorsed review.

How to Choose a Sunscreen for Your Beach Baby

Ah, Memorial Day is behind us, which can only mean one thing - summer is on her way in! If you're like me, you've been watching your baby's skin closely every time you take him out in the sun. You've got the big floppy hat on his head, he's been wearing long pants most of the spring, but as the days get warmer, you can't really put him in turtle necks anymore.

I spent a large amount of time at my local health food store last week, poring over all the options for baby sunblock. Before that, I'd spent some time online, reviewing ingredients and trying to find the perfect lotion for the sunny days of summer. What I found was not exactly surprising, but definitely disheartening. Many of the ingredients I try so hard to avoid in my own products were in the baby sunblocks. Many contain parabens, and since there are conflicting reports on parabens, I wanted to steer clear of those. Alcohols are another item I try to avoid, as well as anything I just plain can't pronounce. That took most of the products off my list of possibilities.

The one I finally decided on came recommended by the girls at the health food store, and to my relief, it was not of the $20 variety. I purchased Natural Sun by Aubrey Organics. I can pronounce almost everything in it (some of those Latin plant names are tricky), and it smells like something I'd like for dessert.

California Baby was another brand that appealed to me, but it was one of the $20 a bottle choices. Natural Sun was only $8.50. Although we haven't needed to test it out yet, I will certainly let you in on how it performs.

So now it's time to break out the flip flops, the beach ball, and a nice mystery novel and head for the great outdoors. I do feel much better knowing I've got something on hand for all those sunny baby days to come.

Little Playzone Product Review - Whee!

It's finally here! The long-awaited solution to my work-at-home mom dilemma arrived via Fed Ex. Since my baby started to crawl, working from home became a whole new ball game. I could not for the life of me figure out how to contain him without containing him. I wanted a safe place for my son to play for the periods of time I need to be at the computer, and the Pack and Play seemed to shrink before my eyes as my son got older and more mobile.

After many weeks of trying to keep my little crawler from climbing under my desk, stealing my paperwork, and hollering as one in solitary confinement, I finally came across the Little Playzone play yard by Friendly Toys. I purchased it from One Step Ahead, and miracle of miracles, it got here in two days.

If you've shopped for play yards, you know they are not cheap. The cheapest I've found is the Six Panel Superyard, which I returned about 20 minutes after opening it. It was hard to deal with and wobbly. But the Playzone, while more expensive at about $99, is well worth the extra cash. It's sturdy, lightweight, colorful, roomy (13 square feet), and contains a gate and a play wall with music, a mirror, and more. I even climbed in it myself last night and played with my son for about an hour! The greatest part is, it took me less than a minute to assemble it out of the box.

I've only had the thing for 24 hours now, but I'm already in love with it! Check it out and see what you think. If you're a WAHM, this thing could very well become indispensable to you as well.

Earth's Best Baby Food Recall

I recently came across a recall on the FDA website for Earth's Best baby food. I never heard about it on the news, never saw signs up in the store. Fortunately, no one reported their babies affected by the tainted baby food, but maybe this is the reason it never made it into the news. Nevertheless, the report states the tainted food could cause botulism - reason enough to make the news in my book!

People ask me all the time why I don't just buy organic baby food and skip the trouble of making it myself. After the recent pet food scandals, I've been saying how this could easily happen in the baby food industry as well. I've been making food for my dogs for three years now, so we had no worries when the news of pet food recalls hit. Makes me glad I make baby food as well!

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more baby food and product recalls, and when I find them, I'll be posting them here on The Mommy Spot. So sign in to subscribe for The Mommy Spot (in the right hand side bar), and you'll find out about future recalls as soon as I do.

Here are the links for the Earth's Best baby food recall:

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01566.html
http://earthsbest.com/press/20070216-recall-notice.php

Disease-Proof Your Child - Dr. Fuhrman's Book

I've just finished reading (devouring) "Disease-Proof Your Child" by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. If you really want to understand childhood nutrition and how it affects your child later in life, you must read this book. Every page had information I wanted to reread, just trying to retain it. In fact, this book has changed my own eating habits, and I thought I ate pretty darned healthy already!

Dr. Fuhrman discusses how the eating of live fruits and vegetables reduces asthma, ear infections, and allergies in children. He also states what a child eats now can protect against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer later in life. The book is full of scientific evidence and studies (ooh, I like that stuff) presented in an easy-to-understand way, and it's never a dull read. In fact, what I learned there will certainly surface in this blog - I'll be writing more on it in the near future.

The back of the book has over 50 recipes in it, which go along with his eating plan to consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm going to try some of these, but I must admit some of them are kind of radical, even for me. But if there's one thing I've learned about changing eating habits, it often takes time and lots of small steps to get to your dietary goals.

And speaking of dietary goals and recipes, I have another blog called Nature's Kitchen which is chock full of healthy recipes. (Smooth segue!) In the interest of time and sanity, I will slowly be transferring my recipes from that blog to this one. I think it will be a nice fit to keep the recipes here, as they focus on nutritious whole foods that are simple to make - perfect for busy families! My other blog will still be there and functioning, but when a new recipe comes along to share, it will be found here. Make sure to check them out under the Recipes label in the sidebar. Oh, and never fear - The Mommy Spot will continue to feature all the natural cures, home remedies, and WAHM stuff it has in the past.

Car Seat Confusion

One of the most difficult purchasing choices we've made has been the car seat. I remember when we registered for our baby shower, which seems like eons ago now, we spent about 2 1/2 hours in Babies R Us staring at the traveling systems (car seat and stroller combos); we registered for only one item, then left exhausted.

We did finally choose a travel system, but unfortunately, no matter how careful we were with that first choice, our son decided he had to keep growing, and grow he did - right out of that car seat. Oh, no! We had to pick ANOTHER ONE? Egads, and on the tail-end of all that Consumer report confusion. If you recall, Consumer Reports did a study and (erroneously) reported that most of the seats they tested had failed miserably at 35 MPH. Turns out they had tested the seats at a much higher speed than they reported (about 70 MPH). One name brand stuck out in my mind from that study, though: Britax.

The seats tested by Consumer Reports were infant seats, made for babies up to about 22 pounds. But we were in need of the next step up. I did my homework and came to a conclusion: I didn't care if Consumer Reports screwed up on telling us what speed they tested at. If they tested at about 70 miles per hour (as stated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), and a Britax seat survived it, that's the car seat I want. Of course the Britax tested was the Companion, meant for babies up to 22 lbs., so I looked into the next size up - the Marathon. Pricey? Enough so to make you want live off bread and water for a while. But Britax seats consistently exceed U.S. standards, and for that reason, I don't mind shelling out the extra dough.

All the bells and whistles on this seat are a bonus too. It's padded well for longer rides, it's easy to install, and it's easy to get baby in and out of. My son seems very comfortable in it. I can't wait to take a longer trip to test it out. In fact, I'd be happy to sit in it myself if only I could get the shoulder harnesses over. This seat is definitely engineered very well.

If you can't afford a fancy-shmancy car seat for your child, don't despair. Just take your time and do the homework. Check the company websites, talk to the experts in the baby stores, and read online reviews. I often find the reviews on websites like www.babiesrus.com or www.amazon.com are the best way to find out what people think of the products after they've owned them for awhile.

Start your searches early for items as important as a car seat - babies grow fast, and before you know it, you'll have to make that purchase. These aren't decisions you want to rush. Oh, and check to make sure your car seat has been properly installed. Many local fire departments or police stations do free inspections.

Shocking Car Seat Safety Study

I had a blog post all ready to go this morning, but I'm putting that one off for a day. When I discovered the Consumer Reports study on infant car seats, I was pretty disturbed to say the least. This is something you must read. I am unable to get the link to work, so I've copied and pasted the text here. I have a feeling Consumer Reports won't mind, as this is very important information they're sharing.

Safety alert: What if this were your child?
Most infant car seats fail our new front- and side-crash tests


You’d think that in a car crash, infants in their cozy car seats would be the most protected passengers of all. But you’d be wrong, our tests reveal.

Cars and car seats can’t be sold unless they can withstand a 30-mph frontal crash. But most cars are also tested in a 35-mph frontal crash and in a 38-mph side crash. Car seats aren’t.

When we crash-tested infant car seats at the higher speeds vehicles routinely withstand, most failed disastrously. The car seats twisted violently or flew off their bases, in one case hurling a test dummy 30 feet across the lab. Here are the details:

* Of 12 infant seats we tested, only 2 performed well: the Baby Trend Flex-Loc and the Graco SnugRide with EPS.

* Nine infant seats provided poor protection in some or all of our tests, even though they meet the federal safety standard. One seat, the Evenflo Discovery, didn’t even meet that standard. We urge federal officials to order a recall of that seat.

* Infant car seats sold in Europe undergo more rigorous testing than do models sold in the U.S. Indeed, when we crash-tested an infant seat we bought in England, it was the best in our tests. An infant seat sold in the U.S. by the same manufacturer failed. (See European models.)

* Our findings offer added evidence of problems with LATCH, the federally mandated attachment system for child car seats. Most car seats performed worse with LATCH than with vehicle safety belts. And LATCH attachments aren’t always easy to use.

One federal agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, regulates both vehicles and child car seats. Why aren’t car seats tested as rigorously as cars?

NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson says the U.S. car-seat standard is rigorous and that side-crash tests are problematic. For side crashes, “our engineers do not have a performance test they’re comfortable with,” he says.


TOUGHER SAFETY TESTS

Our new tests are tougher than the federal car-seat standard because a significant performance gap exists between vehicles and the car seats they carry.

The federal New Car Assessment Program tests most cars and minivans, and some pickups and SUVs, in 35-mph frontal crashes and 38-mph side crashes. Scores in the form of “star” ratings are widely publicized, and as a result carmakers have improved the crash protection of vehicles. There has been no such incentive for the makers of child car seats sold in the U.S.

The infant seats we evaluated are rear-facing carriers that snap in and out of a base. The base connects to the car by means of the vehicle’s safety belts or LATCH attachments. (LATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, includes belts that hook the base to metal anchors in the car.)

We crash-tested multiple units of each infant seat. In some crashes we used vehicle safety belts to secure the base; in other tests we used LATCH attachments. The collisions mimic a crash in a Ford Explorer SUV, a popular family vehicle. (The Toyota Camry sedan crumples similarly, especially in a side crash, so we would expect comparable results for some sedans.)

We used a test dummy weighing the maximum claimed weight for each seat. That’s 30 pounds for the Graco SafeSeat and 22 pounds for the others.

In our 35-mph front-impact test, seven car seats failed. They separated from their bases, rotated too far, or would have inflicted grave injuries, as measured by our test dummy, whose sensors record the severity of impact. We retested these to see whether they passed the 30-mph federal standard. All passed except the Evenflo Discovery.

When we performed side-impact tests at 38 mph, eight models failed. Four of the seats flew out of their bases.

Three seats failed all our tough tests: the Evenflo Discovery, the Graco SafeSeat, and the Britax Companion, formerly our top-rated seat based on earlier tests that mirrored the federal standard. Most other tested seats passed either the front- or side-crash test in some configuration, though only the Baby Trend Flex-Loc and the Graco SnugRide with EPS passed all our tests. (EPS stands for expanded polystyrene, a cushioning material.)

Some Britax Companion seats were recalled in October 2006 because carriers were assembled incorrectly; we tested a later model. The Evenflo Discovery, which we deem Not Acceptable and believe should be recalled, was the subject of a NHTSA investigation in 2004 after the agency received seven reports about the carrier separating from its base. (Evenflo received 52 reports, 6 involving fatalities, NHTSA says.) NHTSA said it could not identify a safety defect and closed the investigation.

The Eddie Bauer Comfort infant seat also had problems, specifically in our fit-to-vehicle test of one of two bases sold with the seat. Because of that test result we judge the seat Not Acceptable and believe the base should be recalled.

Our trained car-seat installers could not get the base to fit securely in five different vehicles. The seat also performed poorly in our side-crash tests. The company Web site indicated that our model included a new and improved base.

The Web site was wrong, which we learned when we later bought another sample of the seat and discovered a different base that fit better. We have also learned that the manufacturer will supply that base through a “customer satisfaction program” but only to those consumers who know to complain to the company. The car seat (also called the Caress Comfort) is being discontinued though it is still sold. We're crash-testing the seat with the other base. Results will be posted in our Ratings in the coming months.


ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH LATCH

No car seat can provide good protection if it’s not installed right, something that the LATCH system was devised to address. A tight fit is important for crash protection, and our testers find that you are more likely to get a secure fit with LATCH than with vehicle safety belts. Nevertheless, the car-seat tests underscore continuing problems. For example, more seats failed when attached with LATCH than with safety belts, even when the installation was done by professionals. The same has been true in our previous car-seat tests.

Our tests suggest that infant car seats might be better secured if their bases were attached to floorboard anchor points in addition to existing LATCH anchors. Another improvement would be for the U.S. standard to allow for car-seat bases similar to many sold in Europe. They include a “foot” that adds stability in a frontal crash.
Matthew Gallardo and cousin, Aaron
VICTIMS Matthew Gallardo was killed and his older cousin, Arron, was injured in a side crash in which Matthew was ejected from his car seat. Below, Carlye Siebens holds her son, Landon, who was bruised in a collision when his car seat separated from its base.
Carlye Siebens and son, Landon

Another problem with LATCH is that anchors in many cars are hard to access. And most vehicles don’t have LATCH anchors in the safest seat in the car: the center rear. It can also be hard to adjust safety belts to a car seat located in the center rear.

General Motors vehicles are an exception; many have center LATCH anchors. And some Ford models allow parents to use the inner two LATCH anchors from the outer seats to install a child seat in the center rear.

NHTSA spokesman Tyson says the agency will hold a public hearing on LATCH probably in February; the date had not been set as of press time. LATCH has been successful, he says, but there are concerns. “The problem we have now,” he says, “is parents who are not installing the seats properly.”


REAL-WORLD COLLISIONS

All states and the District of Columbia require infants to be secured in car seats when traveling in passenger vehicles. Still, 572 infants under 1 year old were killed in traffic accidents from 2001 to 2005, with side crashes accounting for 151 of those deaths, or 26 percent, NHTSA data show.

No one is saying that a car-seat standard with side-crash tests would prevent all deaths and injuries from side impacts. Still, the families of some victims say it would be an improvement.

Mary and John Gallardo’s grandson, Matthew, was one of those victims. In March 2004, Matthew’s infant seat flew off its base in a side-impact crash on U.S. 49 in Harrison County, Miss., and he was ejected from the car. The Gallardos’ daughter, Candace, was also killed and another grandson, Arron, was injured. “This was devastating,” says John Gallardo, who wants car seats made so that they better withstand side crashes. “We just want to help see that no one else has to suffer what my family went through.”

Carlye Siebens and her son Landon were luckier. In May 2006, after securing Landon in his car seat, Siebens pulled out from a stop sign near her home in Deland, Fla. Her car was broadsided, and Landon, then 7 months, suffered bruises and minor cuts when his car seat separated from its base and he landed face down. “The first thing I did was look in my mirror to check on my child, and he wasn’t where he had been,” Siebens says. “You assume the car seat would have been intact.”


WHAT YOU CAN DO

Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, strongly believes that NHTSA should strengthen safety testing for car seats so that it is comparable with the tests conducted on new cars. That means including a side-crash test. If the New Car Assessment Program is any indication, crash performance improves when results are publicized.

The agency also needs to revisit the LATCH standard. Automakers should make anchors and tethers easy to access. And LATCH anchors should be required in center-rear seats.

For now, here’s how to keep your baby as safe as possible while traveling:

* If you’re shopping for an infant car seat, buy one of the two we recommend. (See the Ratings.)
* If you already own a Chicco KeyFit, Compass I410, Evenflo Embrace, or Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP, use it with vehicle safety belts, which passed our tests, not with LATCH, which didn’t. If you can’t get a tight fit with the safety belt, buy one of the two seats we recommend.
* If you own a different infant seat, consider replacing it with the Baby Trend Flex-Loc or the Graco SnugRide with EPS.
* Secure your child in the center-rear seat if the car seat can be tightly fastened there. Go to www.nhtsa.gov to find a free car-seat inspection station near you.
* Send in the registration card that comes with new car seats, so that the manufacturer can contact you if the seat is recalled.
* Remember that any child car seat is better than no seat at all.

The Heat is On...

It is now one week after I started what I know must have been the flu. I've explained to you the homeopathic treatment undergone my my son and me, and we've talked about a few other possible solutions. Today I'd like to compare two thermometers we've used for our baby.

The first is one I purchased before he was born. It's from Parents, the parenting magazine, who also now puts out an interesting line of baby products. I thought this thermometer was rather ingenious. It's in the nipple of a pacifier, and there's a digital readout on the front. It's worked pretty well when I've had to check for a fever during teething. My son chomps away on it for the approximately three minutes needed for the thermometer to beep its reading. But when the real illness hit, he had other ideas for the pacifier - mainly spitting it out or throwing it. Besides, he was often stuffy and couldn't handle breathing through his nose for the wait.

At the end of his first day of being sick, we purchased a Braun ThermoScan thermometer, one of those pricey ear thermometers that takes a reading in about three to five seconds. At first I thought it might be a rather exorbitant purchase being made by two paranoid parents who were just about willing to throw anything into the shopping cart that might help the baby feel better. But we've looked at these in the past, and besides, it's something the whole family can make use of.

This is the easiest thermometer I've ever used. Although my son didn't always feel like sitting still for even the three seconds required to hold the device in his ear canal, we managed just fine. The reading seems pretty accurate if you hold the sensor in far enough, and there doesn't seem to be any danger of inserting it too far, due to its shape.

Overall, they're both good thermometers. The biggest difference here has to do with how much you're willing or able to spend. On the low end of the spectrum, the pacifier thermometer ran about $3 - $5, if I'm remembering correctly. On the higher end, the Braun thermometer runs just under $40.

In the end, I've been getting more use from the thermometer than he did. I've also been checking into a lot more natural remedies as I struggle to get better without the aid of conventional medicines. So check back tomorrow, and I'll share with you some of the things I've been doing to alleviate all those unpleasant symptoms of cold and flu.

A Little Night Music

You know those little musical crib toys that hang on the crib and play music, blow bubbles, and light up? We had a second-hand one, and the poor little fish were stuck. They didn't swim, but they clicked nicely. I was feeling pretty bad for my son. Maybe he was being deprived of swimming fishies. So I did a little research on some baby store websites and came up with a few options.

I always read the customer reviews on these sites because you learn all sorts of things about the product that the manufacturer wouldn't dare to mention. It's how I chose most of our trickier items for our baby, such as the stroller, the changing table, and the nail clippers. (For a new parent, even that last one can be a little nerve wracking.) So when I saw the mixed reviews for the popular Ocean Wonders Aquarium by Fischer Price, I thought I'd steer clear.

The general consensus was that it was very difficult to install on the crib, and the battery pack would somehow disconnect from the toy if not supported by a wall. But every person said they wouldn't give up the toy because their baby loved it so much. I just figured we wouldn't bother getting attached to it in the first place. But as I shopped around locally,, the Ocean Wonders was the only one I could even find.

In the end, those tired fish in our old unit taunted me until I bought the Ocean Wonders. I have to say, I was pretty excited. But getting it out of the box was worse than solving the Rubic's Cube with your eyes shut. I did have a terrible time getting it hooked to the crib, because the plastic straps are so darned tight. A safety precaution, I imagine. As for the battery pack, that actually must be attached after the aquarium is on the crib. It screws on, and I have a feeling that's why some people experience having the toy lose connection to its power source - the screws may not be tightened enough.

Once it was installed, though, I was mesmerized. I can stare at that thing for hours. Well, minutes. But the point is, it's very entertaining. My baby seems to like it too. The music is gentle and relaxing, and the bubbles and lights just about lull me to sleep hanging over the crib.

My son easily kicks the music on all by himself - I've heard it go on through the monitor in the wee hours. The toy's motor is a little loud, but it doesn't seem to bother him at all. Overall, I am pleased with it, and I'd recommend it regardless of installation and packaging hassles. After all, this is nothing compared to the bicycle I'll have to install in a few years.

Kids II is #1 in My Book

My son has a favorite toy - a little butterfly that giggles and makes boing noises when he moves the wings. Its butt also lights up - added charm. We bought it for him because he was so enamored with it at the store. So when it started acting up recently, I decided to email the manufacturer, Kids II, and ask them if there was a way to fix it. (It wasn't a safety issue, just for the record.) I didn't expect to hear back from them, but I figured at least I'd try.

Today I received a kind response from a consumer sales representative informing me she'd be sending me a new one. I am all a-flutter.

Kids II makes the popular Baby Einstein products and a great little thing we have called the Bounce Bounce Baby. Baby sits in the middle of a ring with his feet on a platform that bounces as he jumps. It's an activity center with all sorts of things to occupy. It's full of lots of bright colors, smiling critters, and of course more boing boing noises.

I've been impressed with their toys since registering for baby shower items, and I'm even more impressed now that we've not only been able to try them, but we know they back their products as well. Thanks, Kids II!

Note: While visiting the Kids II website, I noticed they also make the Boppy. Who knew?

Life without a Boppy? No Way!

When I was in the hospital after giving birth to our son, I was completely new to the world of nursing. I mean I had no idea what I was doing. The nurses would come in and cram pillows around me so the baby would be supported. His tiny body was balanced on a mountain of pillows, and I kept thinking, "How the heck can I recreate this at home without a bevvy of hospital staff?" My sister came in, took one look at me, and said, "You need a Boppy." True to fashion, next day she showed up at the hospital with a Boppy pillow.

I don't know what I'd do without it, and if you're a first-time mom or you're about to be, believe me when I say it's a must-have. After a couple months with mine, I got one for my friend who was expecting her first as well.

If you're not nursing, it's still very helpful. My mother loves to hold her grandson on her lap with the Boppy under him. It saves a lot of arm strain, and the baby is nice and cozy too.

My sister got mine from Target, but I've seen them at Babies 'R Us and many places online. They're about 20 bucks for the basic model, or if you like, you can get a plain one with slip covers. That one is quite a bit more. I have no problem with my basic model. I throw it in the washer and dryer whenever my son decides to "decorate" it, and it comes out like new.

This is a good one to keep in mind for a shower gift. They're indispensable!

A Helpful Podcast For Parents

The day I found out I was pregnant, no one knew but my husband and me. I remember sitting at my desk at work, overwhelmed with excitement, questions, and above all, the great desire to talk about it.

I had just discovered podcasting, and so I did a search on my iTunes. I found a podcast called Baby Time featuring a married couple, Kerry and Dan, who at the time were expecting their first child. It felt like I'd hit gold.

Every week they talked about what Kerry was going through in her pregnancy and how their lives were changing. Even though they were months ahead of me in the pregnancy, I stuck with the show that corresponded with my stage.

It was a wealth of information, and now that their son Jack is 4o weeks old, it continues to give helpful advice and entertain. I still listen to the podcasts corresponding with my son's age (22 weeks), and it's amazing what a support it's been.

I've added a link to their website in my Podcasts Perfect for Mommies section. If you want a true highlight, listen to the podcast on the birth of their son. I listened to that one just weeks before my own son's birth, and it eased my fear of the unknown. It was such a touching podcast that I cried at work with my headsets on. But I don't think anyone noticed. If they did, I was 8 months pregnant, after all. Chalk it up to hormones.

Overall, this podcast is a real treat, and I look forward to continuing to listening each week. Check it out - you'll be glad you did.