Getting the twins texting with Toymail

Yep, you read that right! But before you get all weirded out my two year olds using technology, it’s not what you think, Honest!!

Buck arrived this week and let’s just say the littles haven’t put him down by choice. This sweet little gadget plays the audio messages you record and send from your mobile device! You do need one for each child as you can’t have two kiddos personalized onto one toy from what we can tell. But, were ok with that since we were planning on getting one for each anyhow. Hopefully, Bushwick will be available to order soon. In the little time I’ve spent playing around with the thing it seems pretty straightforward. You download the app to your mobile device(both droid and iOS friendly). Then set up one main account from here you can invite or be friend requested-letting you keep track of who has contact with your little through Toymail. Each persons mobile devices need a separate account though, meaning even if they live in the same house on the same wifi they need a different Toymail account. -this tripped us up a bit- once we got a few messages under our belt we passed it around the house.

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Sorry, I’m a dog trainer so everything is an opportunity to socialize and trainπŸ˜‰

The guys LOVE it and the only complaint we have is that it plays one message at a time AND you have to reply to it before you will hear the next message. This company is still really new and I’m gathering from their semi recent kickstarter campaign that these are the first available toys. That being said I’m super excited to see how this company grows and what features they add in the future! My vote: a bit of memory and ability to toggle through different message “folders”. And a rechargeable permanent battery with a charger cord, I’m thinking similar to a phone.IMG_3008.PNG

Skip Hop walk along review

It’s no secret that lugging even the most compact double stroller around is a pain in the arse. So, I’ve been looking for alternatives. In my searching I came to the conclusion that I could either get a single stroller and a boogie board. Stupid considering our city select can be used as a single or double and also has an accessory called a glider board. But the problem with the glider boards is that they are right where your feet need to be when pushing and walking. Other option? get leashes, which we have also tried. Again, pointless as you have to hold two leashes and that uses one or both hands, kinda inconvenient if you are trying to accomplish…well…anything. I finally found these gems! Skip Hops new walk along attachable handles on the side means we could still use the stroller as a single and not be concerned about kicking them as we walk. Great in theory right?! But, did they pass the test??
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We did get two since you can loop them onto just about anything-shopping cart included-a nice way to break from a stroller all together. Looping them isn’t difficult, but could be easier(the plastic is rather stiff so it takes a little maneuvering)
20140409-200316.jpg the guys had no issues being directed to “hold on” and even enjoyed being able to get out and walk.
Now the downsides-and I don’t see these as avoidable at all- turning is a joke. I ended up making the beeping sound like a forklift backing up. They got a kick out of it, but at least I had their attention so I wouldn’t run em over. And having them on either side of the stroller makes it ΓΌber wide a con for a host of other reasons…..20140409-200852.jpg
Overall would I recommend them? Yes!
I only foresee us using these more and more as they outgrow the stroller……see walk along

Boon product reviews

It’s no secret I love boon, their stylish modern baby items are just too fun to pass up. Here are the ones we’ve tried and love…..I promise you will love them too!
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Boon lawn and patch with twig accessory- originally we only had the lawn and it was a wonderful addition to the kitchen not just for baby items either and it’s large size meant it could hold bottles for twins or even dishes. The grass is rigid enough to hold even our heavy dinner platters! But as the boys grew we didn’t always need the sq footage of a lawn we downsized to the patch, it was a perfect little addition in our new kitchen. With the patch we do have to be careful since it’s dimensions mean it can tip easier than the lawn. The pieces come apart so remember to rinse it often to keep it fresh. Only downside to this set up is twig branches are a bit short and therefore it doesn’t hold much, bit of a bummer with twins. They are however flexible which was a big plus to get things to stay on it.
Worth the money? YES
Boon bench potties-ok, I wasn’t sold on these AT ALL from about 9-14m. For a little boy they did not want to work, splash guard was never in place, the seat and to holder were constantly popping apart etc, very disappointing for a 40$ kiddy potty. BUT, we decided to give em one more go before we pitched me since that was 80$ invested in toilets. It was like night and day, clearly these potties were made for a specific size of child because they covered little boy parts perfectly from 15m-24m, and if you’ve ever potty trained a boy you know how important this is! Now at 2 we could use them as the step stool they were designed as but like I said before the parts are constantly popping off/sliding around. I had hoped for WAY better quality and longevity but the design for a little boy potty is on the spot.
Worth the money though? NOPE
Boon squirt– these, by far, were the only way I saved my sanity feeding twins! Great design and overall quality. I wish they sold replacement pieces(more than just caps). We had a rainbow of these things and I only wish they made a version with a bigger hole in the spoon to allow for chunkier food!!
Worth the money? YES, if you feed a lot of stage one foods…I’m talking to you, parents of multiples.
Boon Ray this tub drain cover does just what it says, and surprisingly well I might add! It provides and amazing seal when your regular tub drain won’t! I thought the boys would try and play with it since it looks sooo much like one of their toys but we’ve been lucky…so far πŸ˜‰
Worth the money? Yes, if you have old drains that don’t have a nice seal to hold water
Boon snack ball– this one is better as a snow ball mold than a snack holder. It’s awkward lid easily popped off and the small opening was even difficult for toddler hands to manage. It was a rare miss for boon with this one.
Worth the money? NOPE, unless you live in Alaska and honestly want a snow ball mold
Boon Glo-ok I could probably do one entry on this this alone, it’s that awesome. After reading some mixed reviews we decided it would be a birthday gift for the boys 2nd. So, realistically, it’s not been in use that long and I may have different opinions after prolonged use but….this thing even kept Scott entertained. It has a few different settings which is really nice, the removable balls do hold a decent charge for late night potty breaks, and overall it’s pretty sturdy. So far A&B love it and are entranced! I just wish it wasn’t always really static-y….it attracts pet hair like a mofo.
Worth the money? Debatable, the price is rather steep for a kids night light, but this would be a staple in any child’s room for years! boon glo
glowing boon glo
Boon stash– this cool counter or wall organization has entertained the boys for hours! It even inspired our pvc wall desk, with sturdy construction it has even held up to being thrown and dropped, something I can’t say for the wood composites from target.
Worth the money? YEP
Boon gnaw– ok this is supposed to worth somewhat like a Chinese finger trap to hold you kiddos goodies and clip it to them so they don’t get tossed to the floor…..key word supposed to. First, the clip is a joke and even at 6m they pulled it right off. Second, the part that should hold your kiddos item….doesn’t fit anything-we tried crackers, nam teethers etc….nothing worked with it. I’m not sure what boon had in mind with this one, the best we found was that they just chewed on it.
Worth the money? Hells NO
Boon benders – these toddler utensils bend at the base so your little one has an easier time navigating a spoon/fork to their mouth. Great right? The plastic is durable and didn’t crack even after a year of dishwashing and toddle use, and the guys find them easy to use. However, Walmart carries these in generics for way cheaper if you have to have em. I would have been better served with a bigger utensil like the nuk designed ones as these hold next to nothing(especially by the time they make it into a mouth).
Worth the money? Not so much
Boon catch bowl – the hope with these was that we could minimize messes/spills. Sadly the suction base won’t stick (not to wood plastic or granite) at least not enough to deter the guys from pulling them off the table, flinging all its contents. The lip on the side to catch spills is however, really handy. So, I kind of have a love/ hate with this bowl. Best used for slippery finger foods with a toddler that knows to leave bowls on the table.
Worth the money? Yes, but only if you’re buying it for the catch lip and NOT the suction base.
Boon stout– these cup/sippies are dual purpose and workin stages first a sippy then a free flow sippy then a cup. Wonderful concept and perfect in application . The wide base on this means it stays upright even with little hands setting it down. The ability to use it through a few stages means longer life. Now boon just needs to sell replacement valves!
Worth the money? Hells YES
Boon swig– these come in two sizes and both had the same considerations for us….the nipple/sippy hole was far too small even for them at 7m so we cut them to make em faster flow. The seal was great for meal times but not a sippy to leave out or with your kiddo unattended. The small caps they came with popped off really easily so don’t plan on that stopping leaks in your diaper bag. They pro of these were that they were a nice step off of bottles with nipples. A&B actually really liked these and would often refuse other sippy styles for these.
Worth the money?Yes, for the big one though.boon saucer
Boon saucer -the sectioned plate is supposed to help with portions while having no hard edges…..ermmmm well sorry to say I have nothing positive to say about these aside from the mod design the pros end there. The base is not sticky enough as our guys could easily push and pull them across all types of counters and the roundness means its a huge challenge for younger kiddos. Not what I want to deal with when they hardly manage utensils.
Worth the money? Not so much

What were excited to try next: Link, fleet, and pieces!!

toddler potty reviews

Admittedly, we have experience with relatively few potties considering how many are on the market, however, I can tell you what has worked AMAZINGLY well for us! We have used the Frog, Boon potty bench, Kiddyloo and primo topper with handles. While all have their own merits the kiddyloo blew all of them out of the water…by far.
So, what exactly was it that prompted me to pay 40 for another potty seat?
Well, the frog was outgrown in a matter of months, I truly believe that this potty was designed with a small…very, very small child in mind. We were using this potty from 10ish months old until about 18m and aside from it not being able to prevent “boy messes” they always looked awkwardly cramped onto the thing and lets just say the bowl of the potty wasn’t quite large enough. If you have a petite girl this might work for you otherwise, save your money. The Boon potty bench ended up being just as selective with appropriate user age/size. While it had a better set up for boys the thing was always popping apart and was only effective for about 6 short months(16-24m) meaning you will probably have outgrown this one well before you even look at it. The primo potty topper is great for outing’s and errands, but not an all the time thing. Especially for boys who can pee under the lip of the topper and right onto whoever is directly in front of them…most likely you. It is less secure but folds up nice an small for a purse and is the only one I’ve seen with handles. My advice save this one for emergencies.
Finally, the holy grail of kiddy potties, kiddyloo. It was obviously a last ditch effort for us after having spent about 150$ on potties. I was not at all interested in spending another 40, but I gave in and I’m soooo glad I did. Our goal was just to get them off of stand alone potties and onto a toilet, especially for leaving the house with them. A&B, however, were not interested in climbing onto a cold potty…far off the ground…with no handles. We looked at the only other potty topper on the market and it is $30-rediculously expensive for the *excuse me* piece of crap that it is-and no I am not exaggerating. It has no splash guard for boys and is horribly flimsy. For all of the reasons we turned away from that option we were drawn to the kiddyloo. I am only sad we didn’t find this potty option first as the guys can very easily get on and off of it by themselves, they can put it on the potty with little to no assistance, it fits a lil kid tush perfectly and they feel secure on it! I am confident in saying that even at 12m our guys would have been able to use this potty (with assistance). Now our long term goals are to teach them proper urinal usage but we will be waiting at least a year before we confuse them with that…for now we are just ecstatic to have such a perfect item!
what I learned though was to ask myself a few questions….
what size is your child and what size is the desired potty designed for?
what are the features and will you even use them, or is it just more pieces to clean/wash?
I hate to specify on this but…is the potty for a boy or girl? ie do you need a better splash guard?
what are your long term goals? toilet use, travel potty seat etc? it all varies by home
To read how all of these seats fit into our potty training methods see
potty training twins
big boy undies
nakie potty training
Ps I know some people get paid to do reviews or get free products to review. Not the case here, just honest opinions about the products we’ve used and how they work for us πŸ™‚