Tag Archives: amazon

nuSpin Kids BPA Free Zoomi Straw Sippy Cups Review

02/02/2016 R.C. Liley 5 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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!

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.

Going Green, Promo

Cloth Diapering: What You Need to Get Started

01/27/2016 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

We’ve been cloth diapering since Avery was born two years ago. Making the decision to use cloth instead of disposable diapers was a bit daunting at first (especially the cleaning part!), but it turned out to hardly be an issue.

cloth diapering, cloth diapers — Avery at 4 months helping me “organize” clean diapers.

Other than the obvious reason that cloth diapers are less wasteful than disposables, they actually save money. Another big reason is that so many disposable diapers are full of chemicals that found to be toxic to humans but still allowed use in diapers; at least in the U.S. Since I’m just here to show you our cloth diaper setup, you can read all about cloth diapers vs disposables on the Real Diaper Association site.

While I won’t claim that cloth diapering is enjoyable, far from, it is rewarding and poses many benefits to your wallet, baby’s skin, and the world. That said, cleaning crap off of the diapers several times a day can really get to you. So, in full disclosure, I admit that we do use disposables every now and then. Not the ones full of chemicals, but eco-friendly diapers from Honest Company are our go-to choice.

Just had to get that out of the way.

Our Cloth Diaper Setup

We use all BumGenius cloth diapers with most being their 4.0 model along with some Elementals and Freetimes. These are pocket diapers that require inserts. We use the BumGenius One Size inserts and stuff them into each clean diaper so they’re ready to go. They are all ~~nicely placed~~ crammed into a drawer in Avery’s room.

cloth diapering, cloth diaper

We never tried other brands, but we would if we could start over again. These work great, but now that Avery is older and so active/drinking and eating more, we have more leaks. The elastic can also wear out over time, but that’s probably a common issue in most cloth diapers.

For cleaning that precious bottom, we use bumGenius Natural Flannel wipes and a homemade spray solution that Going Mom makes.

cloth diapering, cloth diaper

To deal with the messy diapers, you NEED a diaper sprayer! The Bumkins Cloth Diaper sprayer is what we use and it has served us well. It does leak a little after spraying, but not much, and installation is easy with included instructions. We used heavy duty 3M double-sided tape to mount it on the side of the toilet and it’s been there ever since.

cloth diapering, cloth diaper

I also recommend the Spray Pal to avoid, ummmmm……splatters. It helps, trust me.

spray pal, cloth diapering

We use the Dekor Diaper Pail with the Dekor Diaper Pail Liner (of course) to store dirty diapers until it’s time for a dirty diaper load of laundry. Just remove the diaper inserts and toss everything in. Make sure you get rid of most of the poop!!

The liners come in a 2 pack, so when we take one liner bag out, we simply replace it with the other.

cloth diapering, cloth diaper

To wash, we the turn the liner inside out to get all of the dirty diapers out and run everything, liner included, on a quick wash/rinse cycle with no soap. What you clean your diapers with is very important as to avoid skin rashes on your kid. Make sure it’s natural and unscented. We have been using Charlie’s Liquid Soap without issue and highly recommend it for all of your laundering.

This is our basic setup that works for us. Some might have more of an elaborate setup and some may have less, it’s all personal preference. Since we’ve been at it for 2 years, I feel we have enough experience to share what we use in hopes it will help others interested in making the switch or just getting started.

Do you currently use cloth diapers?

Has this helped or deterred you from starting?

Going Reviews

Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Bowling Friends Review

01/21/2016 R.C. Liley 5 Comments

The Melissa & Doug line has to be one of the largest eco-friendly kid toy manufacturers around, at least that I’m aware of. My wife and I have brought several Melissa & Doug toys into the home since Avery was born, and the latest is this K’s Kids Bowling Friends Playset.

We went a little overboard (by our standards) with buying things for our increasingly active 2 year old this past Christmas. Mainly, as I assume many parents with kids this age know, the books/toys/gadgets your kids have, means you’ll be spending a lot of time with those things too! With that in mind, Going Mom and I made our gift selections something us parents will enjoy while playing with our kid.

As a “surprise” to each other, we both bought things for Avery that the other didn’t know about. Kelley bought this Melissa & Doug Bowling Set and, as expected, we have all spent plenty of time playing with it. Maybe even more than Avery since we keep trying to teach her how bowling really works.

At least she understands to knock the pins down. We’ve tried explaining that bowling requires standing back and rolling the ball, but somehow she inches her way to hover right above them and count each animal pin as she knocks it over.

Melissa & Doug K's Kids Bowling Friends

If only we can get her to actually let go of the ball! But then again, the picture on the front of the case does show a kid with ball in hand hovering right over the pins before they meet their doom.

Maybe we’re the ones in the wrong? I know I’d do a lot better with this style when at the lanes.

Either way you play, this is a fun playset to have around the house. I love that the set comes in a bag that makes it easy to clean up once done, and perfect when traveling.

The set comes with 6 brightly colored animal pins made of soft but sturdy plastic that allows them to easily stand up, even on carpet. The surface is very easy to clean which makes playing outside a non-issue. Avery even enjoys just playing with each of the animals and will carry them around the house making their associated animal noises.

When the ball becomes boring, it’s fun to find different ways to knock the pins over. My favorite is having a “snowball fight” with the animals by using 6 soft “snowballs” to throw at the pins. Avery isn’t quite ready to let go of the ball, so right now, this makes for a great game of Spider-man bowling…

We shall call it. … Spiderman Bowling! #sahd #toddler #playtime #play #parenting

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Jan 5, 2016 at 8:40am PST

I wish the bowling ball had deeper dents for the fingers (because adults play too!), but it still works okay. Besides, most adults rarely use the finger holes anyway.

Also, like so many toys, it’s made in China, and I have not seen anything saying the plastic is bpa-free. But I still trust the Melissa & Doug brand for their quality and think this bowling set is well worth it for the fun it provides.

Avery has had a blast with this bowling set and will ask us to “play bowling”almost daily.

This makes a perfect gift for any baby/toddler. And for only $22.49 on Amazon, it’s well worth the fun you and your kid will have. Maybe they’ll even be a bowling pro one day. Or maybe not….