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My family of 5 has been through a lot of strollers. With three children, our strollers have each seen their day. As my youngest is out of a baby carrier now, I’ve been looking for a stroller that’s not super bulky, but also can withstand the push and pull. And I think I’ve found it in the Britax Blink.

This is just what my family needs. It sturdy enough to fit my 1 year old, yet lightweight enough to fit my 4 year old as well. I love the storage that it includes, a fun pocket for keys or cell phone in the back, and enough for a diaper bag on the bottom. And it’s got a great sun shade for my child, equip with a see through sun roof! It opens, closes, and stores pretty easy, taking just a few tries to master. It even comes with a storage bag, great for travel.

And aside from manageability, it’s got style. Don’t you just love the lime?! Yes, this is strolling in style! So if you’re looking for an umbrella stroller that’s sturdier than an umbrella, then the Britax Blink is your new toy!

As a tech Dad, I was very interested in what the new Equmen shirt from www.Equmen.com was all about.  Ok, I have to admit, the ability of the design to help shrink the mid-section a bit was a large factor in wanting to try out the latest in shirt tech but I was greatly surprised at the actual science behind it.

I received the Equmen shirt for review about a week and a half ago to give myself time to test the proposed benefits.  Before ordering, however, they have a sizing chart on their site that I had to use.  So after mapping my height and weight, they were able to determine the size that I needed.  As skeptical as I was as to the size they had chosen for me, I obliged.  Since I have started a steady exercise regimen, I decided to first try it out at the gym.  I slipped on the Equmen singlet undershirt…well, I say slipped on (It was a little bit of a challenge to begin with since the shirt is designed to be a tight fit).  I then put on my normal workout shirt and headed to the gym.  As you can see by some of the graphics below, the shirt is designed to not just be form-fitting, it is also designed to align your core and improve your posture.  This can be noted by examining the shirt more closely to see that there are bands of fabric that are actually part of the shirt design  that help to pull those shoulders back along with core compression along they belly-line.

As I mentioned, I’ve been working out solid for about 7 weeks now with about 3 days off here and there so I know where my problem areas are at the gym and that is definitely with posture.  Occasionally while I am on the elliptical machine I will glance in the mirror beside me and notice that I am hunching over the machine unknowingly.  Since I have been wearing the Equmen to the gym, I have noticed that I no longer need to correct myself because each time I would look over, my shoulders were pulled back and I felt more at ease with my workout and the back tension problems I had had in the past seem to have been cleared up as well.  This also helps at the office where I sometimes wear the Equmen under my dress shirts.  It is definitely different when wearing the Equmen for 9 hours straight as compared to 1 hour stints at the gym but the benefits are still apparent.  By different, I mean that I notice throughout the day that I am more at ease with enhanced posture but I never really think about the shirt at all.  Although with its wicking technology, it is nice to experience that coolness every once and a while.

Granted that the benefits to me are rather apparent, there is also a vanity factor that comes into play.  It does a great job of smoothing over those love handles and generally cinching up the belly a bit.  It makes those dress shirts pop with that slimming effect that it is able to deliver dutifully.  Am I impressed?  Yes.

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We could all use a hand now and then. Snuggling while feeding your baby a bottle is wonderful. But let’s face it, sometimes you have to answer the phone. You try to prop the bottle up for the baby but it slips, the bottle drops and everyone cries over spilt milk. You need a little help. Get that help from a cute plush friend: Bottle Snugglers.

Bottle Snugglers are adjustable and keep the bottle poised at just the right angle for your baby. Older children, like my son, enjoy snuggling with these plush critters. They are machine washable and lovable. They also make a perfect companion for car trips.

I love kids clothes with car related themes, and euro design sensibilites. So when I saw the car print tees and pants at Polarn O Pyret, I knew I was in for a treat. The  friend who told me about this groovy line of Swedish kidswear described it as, “Pippi Longstocking meets the Partridge Family.” How can you resist a description like that?

It’s easy to see, from a quick look around the Polarn O Pyret site, what my friend was talking about. The designs on this site definitely have a fun retro feeling. And the vibe is decidedly Swedish – the stripes, the repetitive motifs, are all reminiscent of the best of Nordic design. But what you cannot see firsthand from browsing the site is the quality of these clothes. It’s a quality that is often lacking in clothes we buy from popular US chains. In a way this reminds me of retro clothing as well. Clothing that was made to last through a few kids in the same family, to be washed and worn and washed again, and weather the abuse of childhood. Many of the designs on the Polarn O Pyret site are specifically designated as “uni” meaning that they can be handed down to younger siblings without fear of taunting. Which, in these times I find super cool. It’s thrifty chic, and exactly what Pippi would have done, if she had a little brother.

One more note about the quality and versatility – even the leggings from this company feature an adjustable waistband. I cannot tell you how happy this made my lanky 9 year old daughter. She is constantly using a hair rubber band or a pin to keep her leggings on, or wearing a pair of size 6 leggings as capris.

Polarn O Pyret clothes are fast becoming a celeb fave. There is a summer clearance sale going on at the site right now, through tomorrow. And their fall line up is showing up next week Go check Polarn O Pyret out. Buy your kids a tambourine. And put Pippi Longstocking on your end-of-summer reading list!

Safe and snug through the car wash

There’s nothing overtly remarkable about the new Britax Roundabout 50. Sure, it is safe for children up to 50 pounds with the 5-point harness. Yeah, it has the Britax patented Versa-Tether strap on the back. And yes, it’s pretty. But those are not the most important things about this car seat, not according to this mom.

It’s easy to install.

How many hours of your life have you spent fighting to get your child’s car seat installed just right? Have you actually driven to one of those car seat safety centers, or sought the help of your fire or police stations? In our family, car seat installation usually includes a lot of sweat, cursing, and argument. There are often rolled-up towels involved.

One the day I wanted to put the new Roundabout into my car, courtesy of Britax itself, I asked my husband to do the deed before he left for work. Of course he forgot, and I forgot to remind him, and I was down one car seat with no choice but to do the install myself. I took a deep breath and went in.

And I was finished in about 30 seconds.

Oh wait. First I ignored the directions, just like a man, and did it wrong. Parents, please read the directions. Learn from my mistake. You will thank me. You must take the LATCH strap from where it is stored in the seat during delivery, and move it to the lower openings. Only then will you be able to stretch the strap long enough to click the latches into both latch loops in your car without using superhuman strength, which apparently I possess because I succeeded in totally doing it wrong the first time.

But! Once I read the instructions I installed this bad boy in about 30 seconds. It is snug, safe, and looks fantastic. And thank goodness it will allow my boy to sit in a 5-point harness for a bit longer.

Recently there was an incident in which a Britax seat saved a child in a crash with a train!  Here is a special video about that story.

My infant carseat expires in about 3 months… not quite enough time to use the old seat for my new baby. So I’ve been surveying the aisles of Babies R Us, Target, and the like for a new seat.

And, really, if I’m going to get a new seat, I might as well get a travel system to make life easier, right? The Bertini B5 catches my eye time and again at BRU, and not just because its also in my garage. With its sharp-looking fabric of black and white with yellow piping, its certain to be a set you give a second look to as well. (Please, go to the store and take a look yourself, or see my image of the stroller here. Its so much a sharper look in person.)

We’ve tested out the B5 carseat in 3 cars, making sure it fits with ease. (According to Car Passenger Seat Tech Dr. Laura Jana, this is extremely important when selecting a carseat. Always ask to take it outside to your car(s) and make sure its a comfortable fit.) Surprisingly, I could fit the Bertini, a Britax Roundabout and a Britax Marathon 3-across in the second row of my Honda Pilot. The squeeze was extremely tight, but it was doable. In the VW Routan (image here) which I recently tested, I found it difficult to install, but not so much because of the B5′s LATCHs, more because the LATCHes are difficult to access in the Routan. It also fit nicely in our Honda Accord, though only 2 seats will fit in there.

A feature I love in the B5 is the ability to keep the handle in the upright position. This isn’t something all seats do (read your instruction guide because all seats are different) and with 3 kids any little step you can avoid (like clicking the handle down) is a bonus.

The seat features EPP ProTech foam (energy absorbing) and adjustable stay in car base which uses either LATCH and tether. As well you can strap the seat directly into the car. And while it provides more legroom than the average seat (allowing for longer babies and longer use than many seats), it also comes with an insert for smaller babies. The seat has been tested and approved for babies 4 to 35 pounds.

The stroller, which is approved up to 50 pounds, offers a large seat base, huge basket, and an easy-to-collapse one handed release. The highlight to the stroller? It stands upright and clips in the baby seat simply by placing the carrier onto the stroller.

This post was written by Julie Pron, a mom of nearly 3 children who is attempting to enjoy nesting. In addition to Car & Caboodle, she writes for a carload of blogs including Just Precious, Mommies with Style and Popshopology.

All winter and spring, I’ve been using the Weekender Bag and am simply amazed at how much fits inside this easy to transport little bag. Enough for a 2 night stay in DC, for sure. With so many pockets for so much organization, it simple to pack for a quick getaway.

The Weekender (mine, of course, is pink) is a 3-piece set: a large wheeled luggage bag with a very sturdy frame, a detachable toiletry roll (with more than ample pockets) and a removable cosmetic case. And then there are the pockets. Oh… my love for pockets. There are pockets within pockets! I counted 10 of them on the luggage bag itself (including 1 clear vinyl on the inside, 3-4on either end, both inside and outside, two on the outside front flap, one inside front flap (which has a handy hanger to keep the flap open).) Plus the cosmetic and toiletry bags both have their pockets. Now when I pack for a weekend I’ll know exactly where everything is.

The retail price is $103, but the QVC price is only $56.40. At that price, I’m considering picking up a few extras to give as holiday gifts.

If you don’t need the luggage but could use a little organization on your travels, check out this four-piece set of Travel Organizers with a tote. On clearance (also at QVC) for only $29.48, you’ll get a cosmetic organizer, a toiletry organizer, a lingerie organizer, and a jewelry roll that all pack neatly into a 15″x 16″ tote. I don’t recommend carrying the organizers alone, but for easy packing and tucking them into another bag, this is a super value.

Looking for a good reason to pick one infant car seat over all the others? Well, how’s this for starters? The number one safety issue when it comes to car seats is proper installation. So for peace of mind, it makes sense to pick the car seat that makes it easy: the Chicco Keyfit.

Consumer Reports has given the Keyfit top marks for ease of use. Not only is it easy to install, but its proprietary system lets you know when you’ve done everything correctly. The Keyfit features a spring-assisted level foot, centralized LATCH adjuster and 2 bubble level indicators to set your mind at ease. (Even if you don’t know what all those features mean, trust us: You’ll appreciate them!)

Oh, and one more reason to love the Keyfit? You’ll get more use out of it than the standard infant seat, since it’s made to accommodate babies up to 30 pounds.

Ali Wing, baby product expert, is author of giggle guide to baby gear and founder of giggle.  Follow Ali on Twitter and the Giggle Fan Page on Facebook.

I never tire of the hunt for a better baby bag. Something more fashionable, more functional, more fun. Even after a decade of diaper bag toting I still thrill to the chase. Sometimes I find inspiration in unlikely places. Which is why I’m going to tell you to ditch the diaper bag, and pick up this purl of wisdom. Namaste Bags, designed for crafters to tote their projects in, also make fantastic diaper/mom bags. These are not your granny’s knitting bags!

I knew something was up when three friends recommended Namaste bags to me in the course of one week. Two were knitters, but the third was just a bag freak like me. And one who was more likely to be found shopping for a new Vuitton than a diaper bag of any sort. But Namaste bags, she insisted, were just gorgeous. Lightweight, terrific selection of colors and super well organized. I had to get the scoop. So I investigated two models from their Cali Collection: the Laguna and the Malibu. The Laguna is the teal bag in the slide show and the Malibu is the gray one!

First impression of these bags was a good one. They are made from animal friendly, PVC free faux leather. It’s extremely durable and soft to the touch, plus (yay!) wipes clean in a flash. I was immediately impressed by the details galore. The findings are all extremely high quality and make me think of high end handbags. People are constantly stopping me when I carry these bags, often doing a double take to admire them. They look expensive, and wear well. This is of course due to the high quality materials and attention to small details – for example, the bags have metal feet. Small touches that make a huge difference. Check out my photos of how all my stuff fits into these bags! I really put them both to the test recently while travelling. I had to have my baby stuff, my mom stuff and my crafting stuff on me at all times as we took a ferry and hotel hopped on our own Southern Cali adventure.

I also love the accessory organizers from Namaste. They make the bags even more functional.The “Oh Snap” Mesh pouches are perfect for storing both crafting needs and baby diapers and wipes. All the things you need to be able to see and find in a flash. The Catalina pouch actually came with me to Catalina Island recently and was the perfect size to store my makeup essentials.

Break out of your bag rut, get your crafty groove back on and check out Namaste Bags. It’s a perfect pick for trendsetting moms.

Summer is here, and my kids are ready for action. They’ve already played the “I’m bored” card, but now we’ve got our Green Toys to keep them busy!

My son is busy putting all his tiny plastic, paper, and aluminum into this fun “green” recycling truck.

And my daughter is jump jump jumping away with her cute pink jump rope, made with 100% recycled plastic handles.

So try out these fun environmentall friendly toys at your house, keeping the kids happy and our Earth safe with Green Toys!