Product Review: Munchkin Snappy Bottle Tote

Several weeks ago, the folks representing Munchkin and Dr. Sears sent me a big box of some of their baby and toddler products. I've been a fan of the Munchkin brand since Big Arrow was just a wee little arrow. I find their stuff affordable, accessible (I don't live near a baby superstore, so I prefer things I can find at Target), and still high quality (nobody wants a sippy cup fail while traveling, right?) So over the next few months, I will be publishing reviews of some of the items we've tried out.

First up, the Munchkin Snappy Bottle Tote.*

While a special bag just for bottles would never make my Top 10 Most Essential Baby Items list, I'm really enjoying this tote bag. Something about having two little boys has made me desire "pretty" items in my diaper bag and I love this pattern.

Since I'm still nursing Little Arrow, when he does take a bottle it's important to me that I have a bag that keeps milk cold while we're traveling. I didn't pump all that breastmilk just to see it go bad! This bag is made from neoprene material that insulates well, and its zip top makes me feel confident that everything is staying the right temperature.

It's spacious enough for two bottles and the button feature keeps them separate. I can envision using this bag for keeping snacks cold well into the toddler years for my littlest Arrow.

Pros:
-Attractive patterns (I love that it doesn't scream BABY BAG!)
-Well-insulated
-Zip top
-Button features that divides the tote into two compartments

Cons:
-I haven't found a freezer pack that still allows me to fit two bottles inside. (Not a big deal for me because I usually only travel with one bottle anyway.)
-I wish it had an extra pocket for small items, like a pacifier or bottle parts.

Speaking of Little Arrow, guess what he's been up to lately:

Smiles! Isn't he the cutest?!

I'm linking this post up to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

*Links to my Amazon Affiliate account. A small portion of any sales made through these links will come back to support this blog, but this does not in any way increase the cost of purchase for you.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary Munchkin Snappy Bottle Tote to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Product Review: Life is Good from Appalachian Outdoors

I've always been a big believer in dressing The Arrow comfortably. You're much more likely to find him in sweats and a matching t-shirt than in fancy dress pants or a button-down shirt. While I want him to look presentable and cute, the last thing a kid who's traveling needs is to be uncomfortable because of some fussy clothes.

This is why I was excited to review products from the Life is Good line, available via AppOutdoors.com. I've been a longtime fan of this product line because I find their clothes particularly soft and comfortable. Here, The Arrow models a couple of our favorite Life is Good products that we've purchased or received as gifts in the past.

On his first birthday in a Life is Good long sleeve T. Couldn't you just squeeze those chubby thighs?

Camping at Brookville Lake this summer in a Life is Good sun hat.

For purposes of this review, I mixed up some Life is Good products I've never seen or tried (a winter hat and little boy socks) with a couple of my favorite long sleeve T-shirts for toddler boys. I can't wait for winter to dress The Arrow up in these shirts:

Sizing Confusion
My only complaint about the Life is Good line is that sizes can be tricky to figure out. They don't come in your usual baby/toddler sizing options. In fact, I was most excited about the winter hat to keep The Arrow's noggin nice and warm during all kinds of adventures this winter. Sadly, it was far too big for him. (Not a total loss, as it fit me perfectly, so I decided not to return it.)

Other benefits of the Life is Good line:

• I love their emphasis on the great outdoors. Many of their shirts and products have clever and catchy tag lines that encourage people (young and old!) to play outside.
• Soft and comfortable. I've already mentioned that, but when you're dressing young kids, it is worth repeating.
• Good variety. You'll find bags, clothes, socks, hats and so much more at this site. A good site to bookmark for Christmas gifts. If you're looking for more shopping suggestions, I enjoyed this review of a Life is Good journey tote at the Pitstops for Kids blog.
• Easy online purchase experience. Other than a little trouble figuring out The Arrow's size, my online shopping experience at AppOutdoors.com was quick and easy.
• Because I hate when an unexpected high shipping amount forces me to exceed my intended budget, my favorite aspect was that the shipping amount was clearly stated up front before I even began the checkout process.
• Both Life is Good and AppOutdoors.com have a focus on environmental sustainability.

Disclosure: I received a $50 gift certificate to purchase Life is Good products from AppOutdoors.com. I was asked to write this review, but all opinions are my own and I was not asked to express a particular point of view.

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

Playgrounds Put the Play in Vacation

If you're the parent of a two-year-old, then spending time at your neighborhood playground is practically a weekly, if not daily, outing. It's not always my favorite way to spend time... sometimes it is downright boring to push a swing over and over again, it can be brutally hot in the summer, and I certainly don't enjoy the "it is time to go home now" battles. But even I will admit that it can be a great time-killer and energy-burner.

But when we're on vacation? I always love finding a good playground. There's a certain element of discovery (not just in tracking down the location itself, but The Arrow loves exploring some new equipment).

Playgrounds with palm trees in Florida

Sometimes the scenery itself is gorgeous, like this playground that bordered the ocean in North Redington Beach, Florida. Being from Indaina, we don't often play under the shade of palm trees afterall. It was a perfect place to let The Arrow get the wiggles out before we sat down to a nice dinner during our trip to Tampa/St. Petersburg.

Pitstop playground in Peoria

A roadside playground can be a lifesaver on a long road trip. Some fresh air and lots of body movement opportunities! This playground in Peoria, Illinois was attached to a Joe's Crab Shack right on the riverfront area. At the halfway point on our drive from Indiana to Iowa City, we all needed a little break.

Playtime Boston-style

Our Boston trip was jam-packed with sightseeing, which often meant The Arrow was confined to a stroller or sitting still on the T. The playground in Southwest Corridor Park just outside our Jamaica Plain rental house was such a great way for him to burn off steam.

Swinging in South Haven

We've even celebrated some "firsts" while checking out playgrounds on vacation. When we ran out of baby toys to entertain then six-month old Arrow during our first family vacation in South Haven, Michigan, we ventured to the park and he got to experience the thrill of his first time on the swings. He may have been wee bit too small for it, but it was love at first sight, as he's still swinging to this day!

Sometimes unique playgrounds can be destinations themselves, especially combined with a short day trip somewhere close to home. I've profiled a couple of favorites at Visit Indiana:

• Playscape Playground at Danville's Ellis Park (Danville, Indiana)
• Freedom Field: Where Everyone Can Play (Columbus, Indiana)

Resources for finding playgrounds while traveling:

• KaBOOM!'s Playground Finder
• Delicious Baby's Tips for Finding Playgrounds While Traveling

So if you find your kids are getting a little cranky on a trip, ask yourself if you've incorporated enough play. And then hit the local park or recreation area and let them loose for an hour or two! You may even get a feel for what it's truly like to live in the area you're visiting by talking with some local moms and dads.

Any favorite playground memories from your travels? Please share them in the comments!

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at Diaper Diaries.

Like what you see? Then "like" Arrows Sent Forth on Facebook!

Win Tickets to Max and Ruby Live

One of my favorite memories from last year was taking The Arrow to the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show. I know not everyone allows their kids to watch television (and I say bravo to anyone who manages to avoid it!). But taking The Arrow to a fancy theatre to see his favorite characters come to life was a really unique experience for him that I certainly won't forget. It can be hard to find age appropriate cultural experiences like this for toddlers and preschoolers, and at least these traveling shows provide a mechanism to do that.

The cost of these live shows can be prohibitive though, especially when you're pricing tickets for the whole family. So I'm excited to be giving away a family 4-pack of tickets to the upcoming Max and Ruby Live Show at the Murat Theatre in downtown Indianapolis.

Max and Ruby Live
Saturday, October 8
4 p.m. show (doors open at 3 p.m.)
Balcony seats (valued at $28.50 each)
Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
502 N. New Jersey Street



Giveaway Rules:
Deadline to enter is midnight on Sunday, October 2. On Monday, October 3, I will randomly draw one lucky winner. I will do my best to contact that winner (so make sure you provide some contact info!) You will have 24 hours to respond to me, and if I don't hear from you, then I will move on to another. So on and so forth.

4 Ways to Win:

• Please leave me a comment telling me your favorite kid-friendly outing.
• "Like" Arrows Sent Forth on Facebook and leave a comment to tell me you've done so. (If you already do, tell me that!)
• Follow me on Twitter at @arrowssentforth and leave a comment to tell me you've done so. (If you already do, tell me that!)
• Share a link to this giveaway through a social media outlet of your choice, and leave me a comment to tell me you've done so.

Good luck!

If you're visiting Arrows Sent Forth for the first time, and are from the Indianapolis-area, you may be interested in reading some of my family's Indiana Adventures. Perhaps it'll inspire your family to try a new destination and go on an Indiana adventure of your own! If so, I'd love to hear about it!

Disclosure: I received the family 4-pack of tickets to Max and Ruby Live free of charge from a local PR agency. I received no other compensation nor did I receive tickets to the show beyond this giveaway. This is just a way for me to thank you for reading and hopefully provide some fun family memories!

I'm linking up to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

Indy 500 Wrap-Up

I promise I'll take a break from posting about my love for the Indy 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after today. (But if you didn't get enough, you'll find posts here and here.) Needless to say, it was a great weekend in Indianapolis, full of lots of excitement as the outcome came down to not just the last lap, but the very last turn! My husband even came home from the race with a little cash in his pocket (and a sun-burned face) because he drew lucky winner Dan Wheldon in his pool. Speaking of pool, the arrow swam all on his own with swimmies at his grandparents on race day. I was too busy squeeling with glee and enjoying the freedom of my own two arms to take any pictures, so you'll just have to trust me.

Two weeks ago, my mom kindly watched the arrow so that my dad and I could have a day at the track for the Fast Friday practice. It's the last practice before qualification weekend, so all the cars were out trying to pick up lots of speed. It was fun to watch, and as always, I loved wandering around this beautiful venue. This being the 100th anniversary of the race, it was particularly striking to reflect on its profound history. Here are a few of my favorite photos.

The pagoda from the infield.

 This giant column shows qualifying order and track position during the race

The fancy new cars that they'll race next year.

Next year, I hope to have the arrow join in us for a day at the track!

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at Diaper Diaries and Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Window Clings: A Great Toy for Traveling Toddlers

We've got a new favorite toy around here: window clings that I bought at Target in the clearance section for a buck. I got these window clings to entertain the arrow on our flight to Florida, but they were buried deep in our bag and I forgot all about them. I stumbled upon them this week and thought I'd see how he liked them.

He kept saying, "Mom, I paint! I paint!" (My little Picasso!) He moved them around and around and around for about an hour. He loved the bright, vibrant shades of purple, red, green and yellow and we practiced saying each color.

Window clings would make a great "stuck inside on a rainy day" toy, or an easy craft to bring along on a trip since they take up no space (and make no mess). You could stick them to a table or side of an oven. (Or car windows on a road trip!) I'm still going to keep them on my airplane goodie bag list, they'd be perfect for sticking to the window or tray table and keeping little hands busy.

This post is a part of You Capture at I Should Be Folding Laundry. The theme this week is Vibrant. I'm also linking up to Things I Love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries and Fun for Kids Fridays at Local Fun for Kids.

Ode to the Little Snack Cup

We've been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss around here lately (being iced inside our house and all). Inspired by reading The Cat in the Hat over and over and over again, I decided to come up with an ode to the most wonderful of toddler contraptions--the snack cup. If there's one product out there that helps us have more successul and fun outings with a toddler, it's this (full of tasty treats, of course). It is especially true when he has to be in his car seat or stroller for long periods of time.

The arrow sharing a snack with his cousin at Christmas

ODE TO THE LITTLE SNACK CUP

 

You have a way about you, little snack cup

Making Cheerios more challenging to spill

Yet keeps them accessible still

To little toddler hands

Letting us explore various lands

Little snack cup, we give you a big thumbs up

Packed with raisins or many a cracker

You make life grand for our little snacker

Keeping him happier in the car

Or sitting in his stroller as we wander afar

The world, we want our son to gobble up

Instead of being strapped to a high chair

Eating on the go can be done with flair

We take you everywhere we go

Leaving a trail behind us of many a Cheerio

You make it all possible, little snack cup!

(Confession: Cheerios are a major food group in the arrow's diet these days. Please don't judge.)


This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries.

If you've somehow missed out on the genius of the snack cup and need a recommendation, here's an Amazon affiliate link to our favorite brand: Munchkin Two Snack Catchers

Locally-made gifts for traveling with kids

You know the saying, "Be a tourist in your own hometown?" I had a chance to do just that on Saturday. The Hendricks County Convention and Visitors Bureau was kind enough to invite me on their Ho Ho Holiday Tour.  I grew up in Hendricks County (on the west side of Indianapolis), yet I had only been to one of the scheduled stops on our itinerary before this weekend. It was a fun day hanging around my old stomping grounds, particularly because I got to bring my sister, my ideal shopping partner (especially when we can leave our kids in the loving care of their dads).

I'm also making an effort to shop locally this year. It's not always possible with a toddler who doesn't tolerate popping in and out of shops for hours on end. So Saturday presented a perfect opportunity to get some gifts.

Our first stop that day was the Tri Kappa Gingerbread Christmas. It's a true craft and artisan fair. Vendors must submit their items in advance to be judged by a committee so that only the most high quality, handcrafted items are sold.  I picked up two items there that are perfect for traveling with toddlers.

A crayon bag:

This was handmade by a lovely woman. Each crayon has its own slot and the main compartment is the perfect size for a few coloring books. This will definitely be added to my must-pack list for trips. I'll even slide the arrow's beloved magna doodle inside. The woman didn't have a card, and she only sells her items at this show. But I've seen bags like this on Etsy, so I'm sure you can find something similar.

An I-Spy Bag:

My sister spotted this little bean bag. Attached to it is a list of items (like a penny, snowman and soccer ball). When you move the bag around in your hand, little trinkets show up in the clear window, which correspond with the list. (In the picture below, I'm attempting to demonstrate it for a still photo... not easy!) I think this could amuse the arrow for quite some time in the car or on a plane.

They are $10, and available from Time and Again Shop.

From the Gingerbread Christmas show, we headed to downtown Danville to explore some of the independent shops that surround their courthouse.

Luggage tag:

After spending time checking several black bags that looked very similar to our bag on our last flight (while the arrow ran wild through the baggage claim area), I promised myself I'd look for a bold luggage tag before our next trip. I found this one at The Healing Chi, a gift shop and wellness center.

Have you picked up any great travel products this year? Please share!

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Hendricks County CVB throughout the day, but I purchased these items myself. I was under no obligation to write about the day's activities. All opinions are my own.

Keeping it all together.

A few weeks ago over at the Delicious Baby blog, Debbie posted 22 reasons why Ziploc bags make great travel companions. While I'm nowhere near the prolific traveler Debbie is, I put Ziplocs to good use on our recent flight to Phoenix.

I knew I wanted to pack snacks, small toys, coloring supplies, DVDs, books, and diapering/medical supplies for the flight. I also knew I only wanted to deal with one carry-on bag. I feared all these items would become a jumbled mess in my big backpack and that I would be frantically searching for a particular item while the arrow cried or whined. So I turned to the trusty Ziploc bag (the large, freezer ones) to help keep everything sorted and organized. It worked like a charm.

It was also a huge help in getting us re-organized for the trip home. As you can see in the photo above, I labeled each bag and so I knew when we had re-gathered everything we needed for the return flight, despite having spread most of the items around the hotel room during our stay.

In addition, it helped my husband (who was usually the "gopher" of whatever item we needed in-flight) to find things more easily even though he wasn't the one who packed the bag.

You can read more about my tips for flying with a toddler here.

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

Camping with a toddler must-haves

I continue to reflect on our time camping up in Michigan a few weeks ago.  I posted a full trip report here, as well as some advice on camping with a toddler here. I'm by no means an expert (this being our first camping trip and all), but with each trip we take as a family, I learn more and more.

There were some products that we found really useful during our trip that I wanted to share.

• Ella's Kitchen Organic Baby Food     

The arrow is way too old for baby food these days, but he is crazy about these squeezable pouches.  At home, I use them as a treat at restaurants, but they were particularly helpful when camping because they were easy, didn't need to be refridgerated, and didn't create dirty dishes.  Plus, it was a good way to ensure he still got some veggies in each day even though our eating habits were a little "off."

• Fisher-Price Portable Booster Seat   

I love this booster seat.  We used it all summer long on our back patio so that we didn't have to keep dragging our high chair outside.  I almost didn't bring it on the trip to save on space.  But I'm so glad we brought it.  It was nice to have a place to contain him so we could do other little chores around the camp site.

• Waterproof picnic blanket  

We picked up a blanket this spring that had a waterproof side to it, and that folded and zipped up.  It wasn't the same as the one pictured above, but same concept.  It was awesome when we were camping.  Perfect for the beach, around our site, and we used it like a tarp to cover a few things in the evening.  Very versatile.

• "Pat" books   

The arrow got these books as a gift and I remember flipping through them while pregnant and thinking they had this cute, retro look to them.  And then they sat on his bookshelf.  When I was packing up for our trip, I threw them in the toy bag because they were small.  He LOVED them and they occupied much of his time around the camp site and on the train to Chicago.  I'll definitely be packing them for our upcoming flight.

Any products you recommend for camping with young kids?  Please share!

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at Diaper Diaries.