Tag Archives: products

WOOM 1 Balance Bike: Learning to Ride

Have you heard of a balance bike? It’s a bike without pedals meant to allow 1.5 to 3 year olds get comfortable riding a bike. As they get older and ready to use pedals, they can learn to ride a pedal bike without training wheels.

I was not aware of this type of bike until I saw a couple neighborhood boys riding around on their balance bikes as Avery and I went for our daily walk. I could see Avery’s eyes locked in with awe (okay, mine were too), which made her trike pale in comparison. Although she didn’t exactly say it, her actions made it clear enough with her awkward stance….

balance bike, trike, bikes, kids

Yeah, I’m not a big fan of the pink trike either.

Luckily, after speaking with Mathias from WOOM Bikes, he graciously agreed to send me their WOOM 1 Balance Bike to use and review.  Just 2 days later, after going on our walk, Avery and I returned home to a glorious site waiting in our garage, the WOOM 1 all boxed up. Avery’s excitement was obvious…

Hugging WOOM 1 Balance Bike Box

We immediately opened the box to reveal a safely wrapped shiny red WOOM 1 Balance Bike. I think someone was ready to go right away as evidenced by those little grabby hands.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike

After working to fight my surprisingly strong toddler off as if she were a zombie after my exposed brains (Yes, I’m a guilty fan of The Walking Dead), I removed the foam and adjusted the bike for Avery to test. We were even sent cool blue hats that she had to wear and would not let me take it off!

WOOM 1 balance bike, trike, bikes, kids,

Poor pink trike in the background, it’s glory days are long gone. This girl looks born to ride with her pink Soft Star Shoes and blue WOOM Bikes hat. Once on the sidewalk, she slowly started out just trying to get a feel of having only 2 wheels.

Riding WOOM 1 Balance Bike

She took very tiny steps, made a little progress, then fell. After shaking off her boo boo, she tried again and stumbled over again. More crying and boo boo shaking/kissing ensued. We gave her a little confidence boosting pep talk and got her to sit back on her new bike. That’s about it, she was content with just hanging for the day.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike_1

Hanging and looking cute as all getout! So, we were off to a rough start for the first day, but practice makes perfect, right?

Okay, maybe not perfect, but the next day she actually covered ground on her balance bike hog. We just need to work on her sitting on the seat and, well, we need to work on a lot. Either way, progress was made and she had fun in the process.

Patience is a mandatory prerequisite in parenting, and I had to keep reminding myself that being on a bike is something completely new to Avery. Just like rolling over, crawling, walking, etc, for the first time, it takes time, and we need to keep that in mind when our miniatures are learning.

We’ll be spending plenty of time practicing this weekend and I’m confident she’ll be riding circles around those neighborhood boys in no time!

I’ll post updates here, on Facebook, and Instagram to monitor her progress on the WOOM 1 Balance Bike. Now we just need to find a good nickname for her bike. Lately, she enjoys watching Little Einsteins and loves the character Rocket. Since Rocket is also red, I’m thinking Rocket is a perfect fit. Yay or nay?

Learn more about WOOM Bikes and find the perfect fit for any age on their website. They have bikes for little kids just starting to walk all the way up to teens.

Have you heard of WOOM Bikes or tried a balance bike before?

Any tips on getting started riding a balance bike?

nuSpin Kids BPA Free Zoomi Straw Sippy Cups Review

For a long time, Avery was using the same Sharebear Sippy Cups since she transitioned from the bottle over a year ago. They worked well for anything from water to smoothies and hardly any issue with leaking. That is, until she chewed the nipples to where the rubber wore off and it was just a gaping hole she was drinking from.

We introduced Re-Play Spill Proof Sippy Cups several months ago and they work great too, but only for water, smoothies are too thick. Finally, we were ready to introduce the wonder of the straw and try the nuSpin Kids Zoomi Straw Sippy Cup.

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup

I know many kids start using straws when only a few months old, but we just never tried much until getting these cups. I chose this cup because I was drawn by the simplicity of the parts (easy to clean), being bpa, phthalate, pvc, nitrosamines, and lead free, and good Amazon reviews.

A big concern we had was leaking since Avery was so accustomed to tilting her cups up to drink, but this cup claimed to have a patent pending silicone straw design that minimized spills. It even works when tilted! At first, Avery just gave her new sippy cup the staredown.

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup

She finally picked it up, but she was still unsure of this contraption with butterflies (you can get Monster Trucks too) a tiny spout.

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup

After a little demo from her parents along with trial and error, and she quickly picked up on the straw.

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup

Now, this “butterfly cup” is her favorite cup, and just as claimed, when she tilts it up, the leaking is minimal. There are no crazy parts or extra layers that make it hard to clean by hand, but it’s dishwasher safe if you want to go that route.

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup
Tilting with no leaks!

The valve-free straw has a knob that prevents little hands from pulling it right out and throwing it on the floor; a very necessary feature! But, we do have a problem with her pushing the straw in. Just a little push like this…

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup

….will result in this…

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Boo.

Not a big deal though, just a little wiggle or quick unscrew of the lid to put the straw back and you’re good to go. Until it gets pushed in again, and it will get pushed in again! See update below on how to fix this issue.

We’ve been using this cup as her water and smoothie cup and Avery has no problem with either liquid. At 7oz it holds enough liquid to not be too heavy and is small enough for her little hands to easily pick up.

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup

For smoothies, I’d suggest using both hands since they are more dense. She doesn’t always do this, but is getting better.

nuSpin Sippy Cups, sippy cup
Chocolate green smoothies!!!

The nuSpin Zoomi Straw Sippy Cup is a great choice for little ones starting at 6 months and is made to last a while. I’m not a fan of having to clean the same cup every day, so I just ordered the Monster Truck cup to keep a nice gender neutral cup collection. Plus, monster trucks are just cool!

nuSpin Zoomi Sippy Cup, Sippy cups

Pros:

  • BPA Free, Phthalate Free, Latex Free, Lead Free
  • Silicone straw not easily damaged from chewing
  • Minimal leaking
  • Easy to clean
  • Perfect for almost any type of liquid. Really thick smoothies or lots of sediment may pose an issue.
  • Good size for little hands and fits in cup holders
  • Graphics have a coating that will not peel off
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Durable from crazy toddler abuse

Cons:

  • Still leaks a little when tilted too much
  • Straw can easily be pushed inside (See update below)
  • Wish there was a lid/cover for travel
  • Made in China

Update: A nuSpin associate kindly left a comment below and gave me a useful tip to solve the straw issue. Just gently pull up on the straw through the hole until the little knob snaps in place. This keeps little fingers from easily pushing it down and prevents leaking even better!

Hope this review helps you with your decision for a good cup for your little ones. Let me know your thoughts and suggestions for other cups in the comments below.

Tranquility Labs – Natural Mood Support Supplements

Are you someone who gets anxiety thinking about something in the future or spending too much time in the past? Maybe you just have trouble enjoying and living in the moment. Well, you’re not alone, and Tranquility Labs has safe, all natural supplements to help you just like they’re helping me.

stress relief, mood support, supplements

That’s right, yours truly easily find himself worrying about petty things like what to make for dinner or how to fit in my next workout, and even whether I should use a fork or spoon! Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I always use a spork for that reason, by the way.

Since I’m not a fan of most OTC drugs out there, I was excited when Tranquility Labs agreed to send me their Tranquilene Total Calm, Sleep Fast Nighttime Spray, Focusene, and CogniDHA Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements to review.

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My “worst offender” areas are not sleeping enough and being irritable from stressing over little things. No matter how many times I tell myself those things are not that big of a deal, stress seems to creep its way back into my mind. I’ve even shared my stress issues in past posts including how it hindered our attempts at getting pregnant.

Tranquilene Total Calm

 

stress relief, natural, supplement

It’s been about 3 weeks since I started taking Tranquilene, and from the first day I noticed a marked difference in my mood. Nothing super powerful, but I felt it, a slight easing of the tension I normally feel. I found I was able to calm my mind and not worry so much shortly (around 30 minutes) after taking two capsules in the afternoon, when my stress/anxiety is at its peak.

The blend all natural ingredients that have shown to battle anxiety in men and women are designed to work synergistically over time. Having taken Tranquilene consistently every day for a weeks now, I notice that my overall levels of stress have decreased a good amount and I am even able to stop and just enjoy the moment more often.

This is extremely important as someone who stays at home with his precious daughter all day and needs to be there for her with a big smile on my face. Same for my hardworking, beautiful, and deserving wife, she needs a husband who is supportive and not a drag to be around. Tranquilene has helped in both areas.

Of course, I still have stress, and Going Mom will attest to my irritability still popping up every now and then, but this is a supplement, not a panacea, and for that, I love it. For the decreased feeling of stress and anxiety, I feel Tranquilene is well worth it and plan on continuing my daily use. Knowing that the ingredients safe and non-addictive is more than perfect for the health-minded person such as myself, just one less thing to stress over!

Sleep Fast Melatonin Spray

sleep aid, all natural, supplement

Sleep Fast Melatonin Spray with B6, Valerian Root, Chamomile, Lemon Balm and 5-HTP is the natural answer to my insomniac ways . Some days are worse than others, so I love the fact that I can control the dose with each spray.

I always avoided flavored liquids because that meant sugar or artificial sweeteners were added, but this is free from any nasty stuff and full of good, all natural and proven herbs that help calm and relax a racing mind. As I already revealed, I’m  known to be a worrier about what’s to come, which always affects my sleep. Now, with 6 – 10 sprays of Sleep Fast 30 minutes before bed, I’m better able to relax and fall into a good night’s sleep.

I’ve had zero side effects besides waking up feeling refreshed and energetic. As a stay-at-home dad to a very active toddler, this is a MUST! The flavor is pleasing, it’s convenient for travel, and best of all, there’s no artificial ingredients to be concerned about like most OTC sleep aids. It also compliments Tranquilene extremely well.

We all need/deserve a good sleep, but shouldn’t become lab rats to get it. Try Sleep Fast and avoid all worries while getting to sleep….fast. See what I did there? 🙂

Focusene

I’d love to go back in time and give this to my younger self while in college. An awesome alternative to prescription drugs, sadly all too commonly used by college students, Focusene is safe, non-addictive, and packed with scientifically formulated, all natural ingredients designed to increase concentration, support mental performance, memory, and clarity.

This stuff is great! Some days I feel completely out of it with my mind in another world as I try to cook 4 different meals while keeping Avery entertained, but since taking Focusene, I find that I’m better able to maintain my sanity and get everything done. Even better, it’s helped me manage time during the day a little better so that I can still fit in a workout on really busy days.

Speaking of, I use Focusene as a good pre-workout supplement on heavy lifting days. You never want to lose focus when you have heavy weight over your head or on your back, and Focusene helps ensure that doesn’t happen. Even when Avery yells the color of each passing car out from behind me when I’m doing heavy squats, I somehow manage to keep my focus on the task at hand.

Again, is it the answer to all my issues? No, I still struggle on some days, but my mental clarity is much improved after having taken this for several weeks now. This is another supplement I feel offers enough noticeable benefits that will have me keeping it on hand.

CogniDHA Omega-3 Fish Oil

CogniDHA is now my go to fish oil both for what it has and does not have. Too many pills are filled with things that do zero good for the body, but not this one. No  unnecessary fillers, the fact you don’t get fish breath (the pills are odorless), and how much better my brain and body feels since taking these has me giving two thumbs (and cerebral hemispheres) up!

I am taking one pill each morning and felt better after just a few days of taking them. If you don’t take a fish oil now, start with these, and if you do, replace them to see for yourself

Not that I think taking any supplement will solve everything, but after using the quality products from Tranquility Labs, I can confidently say they help. And well, whether we like to admit it or not, I know we could all use a little help, right?

Check out Tranquility Labs to see what they’re all about and learn more about their full line of all natural supplements. Which supplement do you think you would benefit from the most?

Tranquility Labs agreed to reimburse me for my honest review, i have not been compensated in any other way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.