3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires

Review: Stage 2 zzzTIME Snooze Sack by SootheTIME

Published by Karen of 3G2S

Recently I was sent a SootheTIME zzzTIME Stage 2 Sleep Sack to use on a baby in my daycare. This sleep sack has the recommended weight of 12-18 pounds and age 3-9 months. The baby I used it on weighs about 13 pounds and is right at 9 months but he was premature, so he’s still within the limits.

These sacks are great for SIDS prevention because they eliminate the need for loose blankets, thus lowering the suffocation risk. The material is very soft, comfortable and breathable. I love that the Comfort Wraps feature holds nicely around his chest, holding it in place and making him feel cozy, then zips from the top down so there is no annoying zipper at their face. I also really like the vents on the bottom because they keep him from getting too hot.

We’ve been using this sack for several days now and he, his mother, and I love it. He can still move freely with it on due to the ample leg room, which also makes diaper changing a breeze with it on. He sleeps better with the security, warmth, and comfort it offers. His mother is planning on buying one now and this will now be on my “must have” list for babies. This would make an excellent gift for baby showers or for new parents. The only improvement I could see would be making it from 100% organic cotton and coming out with a winter one, perhaps made of fleece or something similar, but still vented.

The SootheTIME zzzTIME line also includes products such as infant bodysuits, crib sheets, and more. To learn more about this and other SootheTIME infant products, visit SootheTime.com . Currently, you can find SootheTIME products at major retailers, such as Babies R Us.

Thank you to SootheTIME for sending us a sample product free of charge to base this review upon.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Review: Johnson's Natural Products for Babies & Kids

Published by Karen of 3G2S

Like many moms, I find it difficult to give up the brands I have come to rely upon on a daily basis, especially ones where my children are involved. This has been an ongoing struggle since we have been taking baby steps towards having a greener household. I am always thrilled to hear when a major brand has found a way to keep the effectiveness of their product, but have made changes to make their product more natural and eco-friendly. This is what Johnson's has achieved with their new line of bath and body products called Johnson's Natural.

With this new line of natural baby products and kids products, Johnson's has managed to keep it's trusted No More Tears Formula, while giving us a collection that is 98% natural with no parabens, animal byproducts, paraffin, dyes, and other things young skin does not need. To top it all off, this line uses 60% post-consumer recycled packaging, which is a huge step in the right direction. This line includes the following products:

Johnson's Natural Baby Lotion
Johnson's Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash
Johnson's Natural Baby Shampoo
Johnson's Natural Kid's 3-in-1 Shampoo Conditioner & Body Wash
Johnson's Natural Kid's 2-in-1 Hand & Face Foaming Wash

Of these products, the two Kid's products and the lotion were the ones I was most interested in trying, as my household contains two preschoolers and a 1st grader. The Johnson's Natural Baby Lotion comes in a pump, which is wonderful because it allows my children to apply lotion themselves without making a huge mess. They also require no assistance with dispensing the lotion into their hands, unlike with bottles of lotion, which require a lot of shaking and squeezing. As like the rest of the line, the lotion has a natural earthy scent that both my husband and I like very much.

The Johnson's Natural Kid's 2-in-1 Hand & Face Foaming Wash was the hugest hit in our house. Our 3-1/2 year old twins have been perfecting their hand washing techniques over the past month or so. After struggling with our standard liquid soap, they both loved the foaming soap. My son even went out of his way to tell me how much he liked it. I think anything that can make our preschoolers more independent is a huge plus in both their eyes and mine.

We have always been a huge fan of bath products that work as both shampoo and body wash, so the Johnson's Natural Kid's 3-in-1 Shampoo Conditioner & body Wash was perfect for us. Again, we love the scent, but we found that this product required an extra round of rinsing for our daughter's hair. We did not notice any residue on the children's skin, but we did notice a tiny bit near my daughter's roots. We had no problems with the boys' hair because their hair is cut very short and is easy to rinse.

To learn more about Johnson's Natural bath and body products, visit JohnsonsBaby.com .

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Johnson’s and received the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Silly Monkey Stories: The Honest Con Man

Published by Karen of 3G2S

The other night, the whole family was driving home from a barbecue at my cousin's house. It was already past our children's bedtime, so my husband mentioned to them that there would probably not be time for a bedtime story that night. By the time we get home and everyone gets changed and brushes their teeth, it would have been an hour past their bedtime. This was already not ideal, since we are trying to get the kids into bed earlier now that they have school. Everyone else seemed to agree with the logic.

Then our 3-1/2 year old son chimes in . . .

Luke: Baba, I think I'm going to get sick if you don't read us a bedtime story.

Baba: Are you threatening me, Luke?

Luke: No Baba! I'm trying to trick you.

Click here to learn how to participate in Silly Monkey Stories.

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If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

Giveaway & Review: Guidecraft Natural Wood Doll Cradle & High Chair

Published by Karen of 3G2S

Now that most of us have gotten through the business of back-to-school, it is time to look forward to fall weather and more indoor play time. With a small handful of exceptions, it is almost always the battery-free toys that keep our children entertained for long periods of time again and again. With these toys, my children are in control, so the play is always fun. These pieces from the Guidecraft wooden doll furniture collection offers endless hours of pretend play for one, two, or all three of our children at once.

The Guidecraft doll furniture is available in two finishes . . . Espresso and Natural. Depending on which room you visit in our home, either finish would have worked for us. Our living room has dark mission style furniture, but my daughter's bedroom furniture is more white and natural shaker. We opted for the natural wood doll furniture because we think ultimately these pieces would belong in our daughter's bedroom.

We received the doll high chair and the doll cradle to test out. I was so excited when these arrived because I had to disappoint my daughter by getting rid of her previous plastic high chair and low quality wooden doll bunkbed. Both were very unstable. If a child cannot even lean a little weight on a piece of toy furniture with their hand, then I consider it to be unsafe.

It only took approximately 15 minutes for my husband to assemble both pieces of doll furniture. The cradle came with it's own tool, but you will need a Philips head screwdriver for the high chair. Both pieces were extremely sturdy and felt like real wood furniture (not to suggest that they be used for anything else other than pretend play with dolls). The only piece that was not screwed in was the footrest for the high chair. The chair is constructed so that the footrest cannot be removed, so it matters not that it wobbles a bit since it is just for show.

At 24" high, this high chair for dolls is the perfect height for a preschooler. Our 3-1/2 year old daughter can feed her doll comfortable while she is both standing or sitting. This chair should fit a doll up to 21" tall. As you can see, a 14" doll is able to sit in the chair without falling or sliding down as well. Our daughter is very pleased that the tray is large enough to fit a bowl and a cup and then some.

I chose the wooden doll cradle out of all the 3 types of doll beds offered by Guidecraft because it is the only one that is interactive. I thought my daughter would enjoy rocking her baby dolls to sleep rather than just tucking them in.

This cradle comes with a 3-piece bedding set, which includes a pad for the doll to sleep upon, a comforter, and a ruffled pillow. The color may vary because the bedding that accompanied our cradle is a lighter blue than the one shown on the website. Again, this piece of wood furniture is extremely solid and sturdy . . . a toy that would probably last long enough for my daughter to pass onto her own little girl someday.

To view Guidecraft's full line of doll furniture, children's furniture, and toys, visit Guidecraft.com . To find more reviews by moms like me about a variety of Guidecraft products, visit the Guidecraft.com Blog.

Thank you to Guidecraft for sending us sample toys free of charge to base this review upon and for providing additional toys for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a Wooden Doll Cradle and a High Chair in the Natural Finish (ARV $120).

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:
Browse the selection of products offered by Guidecraft. Then leave a comment telling me the name of one item you know would put a smile on a child's face this Holiday season. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, sign up for the Guidecraft E-Newsletter (at the bottom of the page). Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did so. If you use a different email than the one you are using to enter this contest, then please include it in your entry. I will be verifying these entries.

4)For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow Guidecraft on Twitter and/or "Like" Guidecraft on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)
Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

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10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, October 4th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Ruby Tuesday: Scootin' Along

Published by Karen of 3G2S

This photo has all sorts of red in it. It was taken when our 6 year old son was trying to break in his new Shox Scooter. He was so thrilled to have a "big boy" scooter and is happy to pass on his first scooter to his little brother and sister. He is just growing up so fast!

If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!

My Photos (W/E 9-4-10)

Published by Karen of 3G2S

School started last week for our 1st grader. Am I an awful mother for not having any photos to share from the first day of school? This week the twins start preschool. It will be their fist day of school ever on Tuesday, so I will be sure to take lots of photos.

Here is what I have to offer for this week. (I apologize in advance for all the cat photos.)

"Back Off! The New Toy is MINE!!"

"Concentration"

"Twins"

"A Delicate Procedure"

"Youngsters Have No Sense Of Personal Space!"

"Lazy Afternoon"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Review: Febreze Set & Refresh Air Freshener

Published by Karen of 3G2S

Febreze Set and Refresh is a unique scented oil room freshener. We had the opportunity to try the Thai Dragon Fruit scent and we love the way it smelled. Although it is a little chemical-smelling, it is not too overpowering. We’ve had it sitting out freshening our house for just about a month and it’s been very pleasant. It’s not too overwhelming like some brands I’ve used, but it is definitely noticeable sometimes as the scent is slowly released into the air.

I really like the look of the Febreze Set and Fresh. It is not big and bulky or unattractive like some. Its small pink design made it just perfect for going on my shelf. It would also work well in a musty closet, kitchen, bathroom, or any other particularly odorous area. Overall we are very pleased with this home air freshener.

The Febreze Set & Refresh is available in six scents, Meadow & Rain, Linen & Sky, Spring & Renewal, Apple Spice & Delight, Hawaiian Aloha, and Thai Dragon Fruit. To learn more about this and other Febreze products, visit Febreze.com and Febreze on Facebook, where you can view videos from cook and author Sandra Lee about how to use Febreze products to make your home environment more pleasant and inviting. If you would like to try this product, visit Febreze.com to receive a coupon for $1 off Febreze Set & Refresh.

Thank you to Febreze for sending us a sample product free of charge to base this review upon.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Review: Hasbro's U-Build Battleship Game

Published by Karen of 3G2S

One of Hasbro Games' newest lines is the U-Build Games series, which consists of revised versions of five classic Hasbro board games. These games are Monopoly, Connect Four, Mouse Trap, Sorry, and Battleship. The way these games have been revised is they now have an added aspect of building, similar to that of Legos or MEGA Bloks.

Of these five games, I thought the U-Build Battleship game would be the most engaging for our 6.5 year old son. He loves to play with building sets and I recall enjoying the classic Battleship game when I was a child, as did my husband.

The U-Build game actually came in a special U-Build shipping box, which was quite unique. What a smart way to promote the U-Build brand. Plus it certainly adds to the excitement if you happen to be ordering and sending a gift directly to a child.

One thing you cannot do is open the box and start playing right away. You must read the instructions and figure out how to build the ships for both sides. A younger child might be able to figure it out eventually, but it certainly helps to move things along if an adult or older child lends a hand.

My husband ended up building each of his ships and then our son was able to build identical ships just from looking at the built ones.

Each ship sits on a numbered cardboard rectangle. The number represents the quantity of guns on each ship, as well as how many times that ship can be hit before it is sunk. There are extra parts leftover after all the ships from both sides were built, so I think each player should be able to build each ship the way they like as long as they keep the same size base and the same number of guns.

The game boards are made of laminated cardboard. They have removable sides that help the backdrop to stand upright and help to block your opponent's view of your ship placement. These sides need to be removed to fold the game back up, so I'm not sure how long they will last after so many rounds of assembling and disassembling. Once everything is set, the gaming can commence.

Like with other strategy games, it will take some practice for our son to get the hang of it. He has learned to understand games like chess and Mastermind, so this one will take a few more tries for him to fully grasp the concept of how to deduce the placement of the opponent's ships. I think U-Build Battleship would be a big hit with Battleship fans both young and old.

To learn more about this and other U-Build Board Games, visit Hasbro.com . You can find this game series most places where Hasbro Games are sold, such as HasbroToyShop.com, Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us.

Thank you to Hasbro for sending us a sample game free of charge to base this review upon.