Wednesday, January 28, 2009

IntelliReview Top 10 Infant Seat Picks

Check out the Top 10 Product Picks for IntelliReview in the infant category.

A lot of great reasonably priced and safe infant seats
I highly recommend the Kolcraft Universal Infant Car Seat Carrier to go with any infant seat you pick out. We purchased this with the birth of our first child, and thought it was one of those frivilous purchases, but we were still deciding on what other strollers to purchase, and I figured this would "get us through" that decision time. Well I do have to say it was one of our favorite purchases. The basket on the bottom is large, and the easiest to access then any other stroller we used once we stopped using it. The wheels are nice and big and easy to maneuver around inside and out (we walk alot outside to the grocery store, etc.). I was sad when my little one outgrew the infant seat and we had to stop using this. It's 1 snap set up is the easiest I've ever seen as well. I have handed this down to my sister, and she feels the same, it's a "must have"!


http://www.intellireview.com/category/catalog_baby_carseats_infant/

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

We're on MommysCompany.com!

Check us out on Mommy's Company!
This web site is an online magazine and radio show for entrepreneur moms.

Laura Steves is a child welfare consultant and serve as Chief Mom Officer of Mommy’s Company. She enjoys sharing information and ideas with entrepreneur Moms everywhere.

My Carseat Blankie is her February Spotlight. Check it out when you have a minute!

http://mommyscompany.com/

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Baby Basics: Car Seat Safety

The Position of the harness.
It's the one thing we might not think of to much about, but is very important to the safety of your child in their car seat. The harness chest clip should be fastened and positioned at your child’s mid-chest or armpit level, which keeps the shoulder straps from slipping. Harness straps should be snug and untwisted. Nothing should be between your baby and the harness. Do a test: If a harness is properly snug, you shouldn’t be able to insert more than one of your fingers behind it or easily pinch any slack in the belt. Position rear-facing harness straps in the slot positions at, or slightly below, your child’s shoulders. On forward-facing and convertible seats, which come into play after your baby’s first birthday and the 20-pound benchmark, harness straps should be positioned at, or slightly above, your child’s shoulders.

Take off the wraps.
If you need to keep your baby warm, place blankets or thick coats over him/her after you strap her into an infant or convertible car seat. Don’t wrap your baby up in a blanket, thick coat or other bulky garment and then strap her into a restraint system. That may prevent the restraint system from working properly.


You can read more on this on ConsumerReports.org.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Support Baby King and My Carseat Blankie in 2009

We've entered a Leading Moms in Business contest on StartUpNation.com. The winner is based completely on vote count and will not be chosen until May. You can vote as often as you'd like each day until then, so please support us!

http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-2009/contestant/2758/index.php

Thanks in advance!!

Kim
(owner and mompreneur)

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Your favorite toys and kids clothing will be ILLEGAL soon!

I'm all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months that will absolutely decimate the small toy and clothing manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust.

With this act going into effect February 10, 2009 so many people will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade clothing, baby accessories and clothing out of the home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

How to Get Involved -- it only takes 5 minutes of your time!

-Find your congress person and senators and write a letter like the sample here.
Particularly if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or the House Committee on Small Business.

-Send an email directly to the CPSC or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923

-Vote for amending the law on Change.org, digg style: With enough votes it will be presented to President Obama in January!

-Place the Save Handmade! button on your blog or website to help spread the word to everyone you know who cares about protecting the little guy and preserving beautiful items made with love for our children.



Other Fantastic Resources

-The Handmade Toy Alliance (check out their proposed changes, a lot of which make a whole lot of sense

-CPSIA Facebook Group

-CPSIA information group on ning

-Z Recommends: Five steps you can take to save natural toys (excellent reading)

-Fashion Incubator

-The Smart Mama

-Etsy business forums (including this specific thread on local media coverage)

-Twitter: Search using the #CPSIA hashtag

-Endangered Whimsy - a blog gallery of handmade products endangered by the CPSIA. Feel free to submit yours.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Some words on car seat safety from AAA.

Consider these safety ideas from AAA and other auto experts:

  • Read the safety seat instructions. Sounds like a no-brainer, but plenty of people skip this step, which outlines how to thread the seat belt through the safety seat securely.
  • Read the car’s owner’s manual. It will indicate if you need “extras” such as a locking clip that secure the safety seat or an accessory belt for fitting child seats in particular seating positions.
  • Use rear-facing seats for newborns up to 1 year of age and 22 pounds in weight. The rear facing position supports the child’s entire head, neck and back and helps reduce stress to the neck and spinal cord in a crash.
  • Keep kids in the back seat. AAA reports that properly restrained children – especially those under age 13 – have significantly les chance of death or injury if they ride in the back.
  • Consider booster seats for kids who weigh more than 50 pounds. There are no federal standards for these booster seats, but experts at AAA believe booster seats reduce injury. When adult-size seat belts are used for these children, they risk injuries to the liver, spleen and bowel, and spine.

  • For more information go to seatcheck.org or aaa.org.

    Saturday, January 3, 2009

    Common Safety Questions.

    Common questions

    Q: What if my baby weighs more than 20 pounds but is not 1 year old yet?
    A:Use a seat that can be used rear-facing by children who weigh more than 20 pounds and keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible, or at least until he has reached his first birthday.

    Q: What do I do if my baby slouches down or to the side in his car safety seat?
    A: Pad around your child (never under or behind) with rolled-up cloth diapers or blankets. Do not use any sort of car safety seat insert unless it came with the seat or was made by the manufacturer of the seat.

    Q: Can I adjust the straps when my baby is wearing thicker clothing, like in the winter?
    A: Yes, but make sure the harnesses are still snug. Also remember to tighten the straps again after the thicker clothes are no longer needed. Dress your baby in thinner layers instead of a bulky coat or snowsuit, and tuck a blanket around your baby over the buckled harness straps if needed.

    Q: Are rear-facing convertible seats OK to use for preemies?
    A: Premature infants should be tested while still in the hospital to make sure they can ride safely in a reclined position. Babies who need to lie flat during travel should ride in a crash-tested car bed. Very small infants who can ride safely in a reclined position usually fit better in infant-only seats; however, if you need to use a convertible seat, choose one without a tray-shield or T-shield harness. The shields often are too big and too far from the body to fit correctly.

    Source for more information on safety:

    http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm



    Friday, January 2, 2009

    Travel tips

    Things you might not think about when traveling...

    Traveling by air:
    • The safest place for your child is in a seat, not in your lap.
    • Not all car seats are certified for use on an air plane. Look for the label on the seat that says it's certified for airline use.
    • The safest location for your safety seat is next to the window.
    • Remember to pack healthy food and snacks. You never know what will be available on the plane...

    Traveling by car:
    • Give them soft toys in the car because hard toys can be a danger and harm the child in a crash.
    • Items like a sunshade can dislodge during an impact crash and harm them as well.


    One great item I have to share with you if you are traveling with a car seat. We used this with my son and it was great! We have loaned it out to friends and they all say the same thing... Awesome! It's called The Pack Back™ and we found it at One Step Ahead. It turns your car seat into a back pack, so you can take it with you easily on the plane, but still have all hands free to chase your toddler.

    Read what she has to say.

    Another fabulous review on our blankies!

    Please take a moment and click on over to Mother2Mother to see what she has to say about our blankies. While you're there be sure to enter to win one of your own!

    http://mother-2-mother.blogspot.com/search/label/blog%20give%20aways