Safety Tuesday: Everybody Buckle Up - Retro Safety

 

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

Britax Boulevard Car Seat - Fashion, Safety and Convenience

I researched so much about car seats when I was pregnant that I thought my head would explode. There are like a million infant car seats on the market and several of the brands come very highly rated and recommended. I found toddler car seats to be an easier market to navigate, from day one I knew I wanted a Britax seat.

The Britax Boulevard is the top of the line convertible Britax seat. It's safety features are numerous and I love the fashionable prints it comes in. It can accomodate children up to 65 lbs and 49". My favorite part of this seat is the side wings, it has head and torso safety wings that help keep your child safe during a side-impact crash. And in case you didn't know, side impact crashes are a leading cause of death for 6 to 14 year-olds. I also want to dispel any concerns you might have about the depth of the side wings. My daughter went from a Marathon to the Boulevard with no complaints. The side wings don't cut her off from the rest of the world and she still points out all the neat things she used to see as we ride around.

It also has built-in lock-offs, a 5-point harness with front adjuster, tangle-free webbing, a push button release LATCH system with Versa-Tether®, and a sculpted base that ensures an easy installation with a secure fit. I found installing this seat to be a breeze, the LATCH connectors snap in with ease and they remove just as easily if you need to reposition or remove the seat. I also love the beautiful prints that the Britax car seats come in. I have the Boulevard in the Shannon print, a beautiful purple and floral pattern, and it looks fabulous against the tan leather interior of my SUV. If you keep an eye on online retailer sites, you can usually catch a GREAT deal on Britax seats!

By Car and Caboodle Guest Reviewer Bronwyn Phonseya

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

Dashboard Confessions: Grabby Hands & the Automobile

You know those plastic handles on the roof of the car? The one's you grab onto when your designated driver makes a sharp left turn and your beverage of choice goes flying onto the dashboard? The ones your grandma never ever lets go of? We've heard them called everything from "Oh (expletive)" grips to "Terror Handles". The car manufacturers say they are to facillitate entry and exit from the vehicle but those of us with spouses who like to drive, know better.

Well there is finally a use for these handles that does not have to do with whether the light was actually yellow or red.

 

This clever product from Kicky Pants is sure to keep babies and toddlers busy, as well as toys off the floor, meaning a much quieter ride and less reason to be afraid! Very easy to install, you just stretch the Auto Mobile from door to door in the back seat, velcro-ing the strap around the aforementioned ceiling handles.

They come with 3 rings (but, you can add more with Linkadoos, if you wish) that you can hang your child's favorite toys from to create stimulating back seat scenery. The traveling mobiles I had with my kids were always kind of cheesy, I love the idea of creating my own with whatever the child is most interested in at the time.

The Auto Mobile will help you to create perfect back seat entertainment for newborns and toddlers. Kicky Pants is also an an eco-friendly clothing company that has a fabulous selection of bamboo fiber clothing that is high quality, stylish, and very, very soft.

And now for your confession and a chance to win it - we are giving away one Auto Mobile in Blue with Brown Dots!

Tell us in the comments:

1.What do you call your car handles?

2. What favorite toy your child won't leave the house with out?

One lucky winner will be chosen on Friday July 25, at 11pm.

 

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (13)
Tags:

Lucky 7 Swimsuit Lines That Provide Solar Protection to Kids

Heading to the beach, pool or lake with the kids? It's not too late in the season to shop for protective gear and keep your kids' skin safe from solar rays with swimwear that looks and feels great while screening out harmful rays. Our lucky 7 picks leave nothing to chance. But hurry up and order these sale items, when the sun heads behind the clouds, they will be gone:

"

UV Skinz Ava Tie Dye Rashguard $38.95. This company is completely committed to protecting kids. They are running a promotion for the month of July offerring a free swimshirt with every order!

Coolibar Swim Set for Boys $29.95. Check out the solar protective gear for the whole family from this company. The range includes clothing and hats.

Emporium Swim Shirt For Boys $28.90 at Solartex Sun Gear. Check out their protective clothing for the rest of your family as well.

 

Lands End Swim Shirt: $14.50 on sale - these are a great buy and now is the time to stock up for next summer!

 

 

Mini Boden Surf Suit  At only $35 for the entire set, this is a real steal!

Little Red Fish makes these beautiful nautically striped shirts and matching bottoms, as well as full coverage suits. Shirts $45

Stingray makes these adorable swim suits for toddlers. They boast that they are the original Australian solar wear company and have long been respected. Romper & Hat set $49.90.

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

Spy on Your Kids at Home and On the Road with Summer Infant

When my 8 year old was born, video monitors were the newest thing to hit the market and I had to have one. I spentseveral hundred dollars for a camera that had to be set up inches from the crib and delivered a fuzzy black and white image sans sound to a monitor that was like something leftover from the hatch in "Lost". Large. Heavy. Ridiculous. We could not even give that thing away, five years later.

So I went old school/ audio only when my three year old was born. His monitor had the charming quirk of picking up every baby in the neighborhood. At 3AM usually. We called it "Ghost Baby" whenever we heard those plaintive wails in the middle of the night. We'd bolt awake only to find our own son was sleeping peacefully. Wrong Number.

This time I've finally got it right with Summer Infant's Day and Night Handheld Monitoring System.

Continue reading "Spy on Your Kids at Home and On the Road with Summer Infant"

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

BMW To make 500 electric Minis for California

Autoweek is reporting that BMW's Mini division will be converting 500 Mini cooper vehicles to electric power for customers in California. 

The electric Mini Coopers are being built at the Mini factory in Oxford, England, without engines, gearboxes or fuel tanks, then shipped to Munich, Germany, where they are being fitted with electric powertrains.

BMW sources told Automotive News Europe that 490 of the Minis will be leased to selected customers in California and 10 will be used as show cars.

The electric Minis are painted silver and have yellow roofs, the sources said.

BMW engineers working on the electric Minis are part of a new division called Project i established by the automaker to develop low-emission city cars.

The electric Minis will help BMW to meet new California regulations that will require carmakers selling cars in the state to offer zero emission vehicles.

Mini spokesman Cypselus von Frankenberg did not confirm that BMW is building electric Minis.

"BMW will announce whether it will build electric vehicles or not later this year," he told ANE.

By Kyle Pike | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

Tips to help sell your gas-guzzling SUV

It seems like everyone is running around in a panic trying to unload their SUVs these days.  Maybe not our readers, many of whom have to carry around more than 5.  Smartmoney recently published an article offering 5 essential tips to help sell your Seqouia.

 

It seems that trading in your Pathfinder might not be a viable option anymore, so if you are downsizing, this list is chock full of good advice. 

 

 In fact, gas crunch notwithstanding, I see this list as great advice for selling any car, in any financial climate:

 

 
1. Be Your Own Salesperson

Owners almost always get a better price for their car when they sell it on their own vs. trading it in, says Robyn Eckard, a spokeswoman for Kelley Blue Book. This is especially true when it comes to SUVs. Dealers already have a hard time getting rid of the used SUVs clogging up their lots. In fact, the market is so bad that some dealerships won't even accept SUVs as trade-ins anymore, says Eckard. Even if a dealer is willing to take an SUV trade-in, they'll likely offer the owner a price quote that's well below market value in an effort to preserve their own profit margins.

 

2. Price It Right

The fact that used-SUV prices are falling fast is not lost on potential buyers. So when selling an SUV, make sure to check its current value on Kelley Blue Book's web site. (Prices are updated every Thursday.) Then visit a site like AutoTrader.com to see what other local sellers are asking for. Just be aware that many people who list their vehicles don't actually need to sell them. These folks often ask for a relatively high price and only part with their trucks if and when they get what they want. For owners desperate to sell their SUV quickly, consider pricing it $100 to $200 less than the cheapest comparable car in the region, says Howard Polirer, industry relations director for AutoTrader.com.

 

3. Advertise Online

Sixty one percent of used-car buyers start their search online, according to AutoTrader.com. So it's critical that you list your SUV on a web site like AutoTrader.com, Carsdirect.com, Cars.com, or eBay Motors (EBAY: 28.45, -0.20, -0.69%). By reaching millions of potential buyers, web sites like these allow individual sellers to compete directly with dealerships. Since an owner doesn't have overhead costs to worry about, he could list his SUV for less than a dealer, making his vehicle look like a bargain. And if you throw in free car shipping — a technique dealers often employ — you might be surprised at how many additional offers you get.

 

4. Provide Plenty of Details

To help your ad gain more traction, include as many details about your SUV as possible. Autotrader.com recommends posting at least 25 pictures that highlight the vehicle's best features, including shots of the cargo space, fold-down seats and its general condition. And as you should with any car listing, include photos of any scratches or dings, as well as the odometer showing the SUV's mileage.

 

5. Build Credibility

Finally, work on building credibility with prospective buyers. Provide them with all maintenance records and a Carfax Vehicle History Report. The vehicle history report, which costs $25, details factors that every buyer should know, including whether or not the SUV was ever in a serious accident or flood. Also, consider paying an independent mechanic to inspect the car (it should cost about $150) so buyers feel confident they aren't getting a lemon.

One last piece of advice: Don't get so caught up with the price at the pump that you're willing to sell your SUV at any price. Make sure to ask for enough to cover any outstanding auto loans and the cost of acquiring a new car. If that's not feasible, it might make more sense to keep your existing vehicle and find ways to drive it more efficiently.

By Kyle Pike | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

YakPack: The ultimate clean-up kit for sickies

 

 

You don't want to need one of these. The YakPack is one of those products that you might not think about until you are pulled over on the side of the road, trying to calm a sick child and clean up the mess they made all over the backseat. You wish you had all the items you would need to make the clean up easier, faster and more sanitary. Now, with the YakPack, you can have just that. 

 

 

Each YakPack includes: 

          *Motion sickness bag and absorbent lap pad to protect surfaces

          *Vomit absorbent/ odor neutralizer, scoop and scraper for rapid removal

          *Antimicrobial wipes, heavy duty dry cloth and non-latex gloves for clean up

          *Biohazard bag  for removal and disposal

          * Clear zippered bag for convenient storage

This very handy and portable kit is exactly what you want to have on hand when someone gets sick. Keep one in the car, at home, and in the diaper bag. Have a boat? You will want one there, too.

It is one of those situations that you don't really want to think about, and when it happens you are usually not ready to make the clean-up a breeze. That is why you need a YakPack now, so when the sickness happens you will be ready. 

 

 

 

By Anne | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

Safety Tuesday: Pedestrian Safety

A compelling reminder of the importance of protecting your kids around other drivers.

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

The Minivan Wars: My Odyssey

In my last two installments of this series, I tried to bring you both sides of the Minivan Wars and introduce you to real moms who loved their minivans and moms who wouldn't drive a minivan if they could at all avoid it. I learned a lot from these moms but I was still torn as to what car to buy for my family of six.

Ultimately my crew made the decision for me.They were fed up with the status quo and it was either a minivan or a big old Partridge Family bus, for us.  I went quietly, no fight left. Four months of driving an Acura MDX with my four children, and groceries on everyone's laps (no room for groceries when the double stroller is in the back) had taken the fight out of me. We worked with an excellent broker and placed an order for our very own minivan. We got the Honda Odyssey Touring in black, with the black interior. It looks either sleek, goth, or like Shamu sans white stripe, depending on your perspective.

I will say this, since driving a minivan my life has gotten considerably easier. Cushy almost. I could get used to this! Some of my favorite features thus far:

• The Doors and Liftgate. It's hot here and I worried about a black on black vehicle. It's never been a problem, partly because of the ability to open up the car from a hundred yards away.
• The Space: No more "Quit touching/crowding me!" screams from the back seat. I have all four kids sitting with noone next to them. The double stroller is still in the back of the car. Along with the groceries. There's room for it all.
• The Versatility: My husband has removed the seats twice now. All that stuff in the garage waiting to go to storage? Gone. The mountain of things for Goodwill? Spreading cheer to those in need as we speak. These things tended to pile up and knowing it would take two or three trips in the MDX was enough to put it off till next weekend.
• The DVD system we have not used: I'm glad it's there but I am also glad that my kids have not asked to watch it yet. In the crowded MDX tv was like a sedative, dosed out at every trip in order to keep the masses silent. In the Odyssey we actually listen to (XM) radio. And converse. How novel!

Do I love my minivan? Well despite the convenience, I can't say I love it - yet. It's getting there but a part of me misses driving a vehicle with major horsepower and a complete disregard for where to put a sippy cup. Which is why I already have my sights on something else in place of the MDX. I

If I had not had a fourth child, I doubt I would have taken the plunge. I would have stuck to an SUV or more eco friendly car for transporting the family. But now that I have it, I have to admit, there's worse things in the world than being a Minivan Driving Mom!

 

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

Summer Loving... Essentials for Having a Blast With Kids

Summer is finally here and if you are like us, this can mean more lazy afternoons hanging out with your kids, fun beach outings & picnics, and even summer family travels. Whether your plans take you near or far this summer vacation, the key to a fun day is having all the necessities packed and ready to handle whatever emergencies life brings when out with little children.

Necessities You Need:

• Extra diapers, pull-ups, and/or underwear – The last thing you need when your flight is delayed or you stay longer on the beach is to run out of these all important items.
• Full water bottles and sippy cups – Hotter days mean thirstier kids. And why is it that the water fountains never seem to work properly?
• An Abundance of Snacks – Nothing spoils a beach (or travel) day faster then hungry cranky children – trust me! I’ve made this rookie error before!
• Mini First-Aid Kit – I think the best things to always have are Neosporin, band-aids, and Tylenol. I find 95% of my kid owies can be handled with these three products.
• A Change of Clothes – Both for you and baby. Nothing spells unhappy travel day like a dirty mom and baby. Trust me – if they remain unused, then you just got lucky!

Luxuries We Love:

• Tuffo Outdoor Blanket – This all-purpose beach/picnic blanket just makes life easier…and cleaner. Whether you are spending the day at the beach or just settling in for an afternoon at the park, this large blanket provides ample space to spread out and relax in comfort. The waterproof backing also makes this blanket a keeper all through the fall. I keep mine in my car so it is always ready for use.
• Skip Hop Duo Double – Whether you are out playing all day or just flying all day, this fabulous diaper bag can hold all you need and then some. We love that it fits everything for a day out with 1,2, or more kids, and can easily attach to your stroller so you don’t have to carry it. Plus, if you leave the top open, you can even stuff your beach towels in there for one-bag-fits-it-all convenience.
• BOB Revolution – Okay we know you’ve been meaning to get in shape. Well summer is the perfect time to load up your little one and hit the ground running . . or walking. The BOB Revolution has an effortless push, larger air tires to easily push across sand, trails or any bumpy roads you meet, and with its full canopy – baby will stay protected the whole time. It now comes in more stylish color combinations, which is a reason in itself to get one for getting back in shape!

By: Jo & Melissa The Baby Gear Gurus www.letsgostrolling.com “Wherever Summer Takes You, Let’s Go Strolling has all the products you need to make your life even better!”

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

Dashboard Confessions: Stroller Tales & Winner of Bugaboo Frog!

We're jumping with joy to announce our winner in our Dashboard Confessions Bugaboo Frog Contest, sponsored by Let's Go Strolling.  Jill Jordan, the lucky winner,  told us that she has used her current stroller as an airport cart. She wrote:

"The wackiest thing I've done with my stroller (and it isn't that wacky) is using it to haul my daughter's huge carseat around the airport. (I had my daughter in a sling since the stroller was otherwise occupied!) The diaper bag that caught my eye is the Skip Hop Via Backpack. I love the convenience of a backpack diaper bag and that one looks to have all the features I want."

Skip Hop diaper bags were popular with many entrants, as were the Valco Boy Meets Girl special edition stroller, Phil and Ted's Strollers and of course, the Bugaboos. We're so happy for Jill, and hope her Bugaboo gets her to and from the boarding gates (and everywhere else) in style. Some other amusing stroller uses?

Naomi's pets are catty about her stroller:

"Our cats vie for the coveted stroller seat. Usually one will be sitting in the seat and another will be in the footrest area. Occasionally there will even be a third in the basket underneath. Tera uses her stroller for educational purposes: For the past couple of years our stroller has served a very important purchase - it carries our children's curriculum around as we pile on purchases at spring and fall book sales. As a homeschooling family, we go to quite a few."

Jo used her stroller as a fertility device:

"It was January of 2004 and I was posting on a message board that I frequent. A woman there had a thread about how badly she wanted a Bugaboo. I had never heard of such a thing, but after investigation I wanted one too...bad! Only problem, I did not have a child and had no plans on having a child. It all changed that day. I became somewhat obsessed with getting a Bugaboo. I also became determined to have a child. Fast forward to October 2007. I was blessed with the most perfect baby boy at 6:18 in the morning."

Susan's husband used their stroller as a mobile dental office:

"my husband (a dentist) was volunteering for a community health fair and his assistant forgot to bring his cart to place his instruments. Our Peg Perego P3 travel system stroller came in super handy that day! He placed his trays and laptop (for x-rays) on it and was able to move it around to give free dental check ups for people in the community who could not afford dental care."

Steve's wife used their stroller as a walker:

"We have used our strollers for so many things. I think that my favorite was watching my wife use it as a walker after major surgery. Since she could not carry anything heavy and had a hard time walking, she used the stroller for just about everything - inside the house."

Angel once borrowed a stroller for a mobile kegger:

"Before I tell my story, I just want to apologize to my Aunt Diane. My only excuse is that I was young and dumb and it was the early nineties. When I was in college, my Aunt Diane loaned me her car for a weekend. In the back was a baby stroller that we used to push a keg up to our dorm. If that wasn't bad enough we put a big black garbage bag in the seat, put the keg back in and packed it in ice. We joked all night long about having a mobile party. We even pushed it to different locations in the dorm through out the night."

Carrie used her sister's stroller as a shopping aid during huge sales:

"Since this is my first child, I have not had a stroller to use in strange ways but my sister and I used one of her's to push around and block other shoppers on Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) to get into the front of the line or move other shoppers away from an item we were after. The baby was home with his daddy sleeping in!"

 

 

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (1)
Tags:

The Minivan Wars: Moms Who Love Their Minivans Speak Up

Yesterday we brought you to the front lines of a battle raging in our school drop off lanes and mall parking lots. The Minivan Wars. We met with the rebel front - moms who told us about why they would rather drive pretty much anything besides a minivan. Their arguments were compelling.

Today we hear from minivan loving moms who have drunk the Soccer Snack Kool-Aid, and lived to tell the tale. They answered my query in overwhelming numbers. They also sported such a consistant story line, that I initially felt they were either members of a bizarre cult, or truly on to something .

While the Anti-Minivan Moms had a real knack for poking fun at the van drivers,  the Pro-Minivan Moms seemed to take this in stride and had no problem poking fun at themselves. They were nothing if not good sports. Their message to moms everywhere?

Time to Get Over Ourselves

 When it comes to moms who love their minivans, the politics are still at play, but priorities have shifted. For most of these women, it was a shock to find themselves at the wheel of their minivan. How did they get there?

Continue reading "The Minivan Wars: Moms Who Love Their Minivans Speak Up"

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (2)
Tags: Choosing Car, Family Car, Love, Minivan Wars, Minivans, Moms, SUVs

The Minivan Wars: Moms Against Minivans

I originally began to research this article because I was in the market for a new car. As a mom of four kids, I was being advised to buy a minivan. With so much fervor that I found myself bristling. I decided to speak to some other moms of multiple kids about their car choices, what drives them, and how they felt about the minivan. Did I ever get an earful! My quest led me to the discovery that there was a underground battle going on in the Mom Community. I call it "The Minivan Wars".

In this installment of our three part series, I headed out to the resistance front. I found myself entrenched with some friendly rebels. Their flag flies high with regard to this war, and it says:

Over My Dead Body

My sampled group of mini-van averse moms were rather vehement. You would not catch them cruising the mall parking lot at the wheel of a mini van.  Ever. Not even if hell froze over or they had a fourth kid. All of them seemed to share the sentiment that minivans were the harbinger of the beginning of the end. The flat shoe-ed, sweatpanted, three inch rooted equivalent of "letting yourself go".

Continue reading "The Minivan Wars: Moms Against Minivans"

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (1)
Tags: Choosing Car, Family Car, Minivan Wars, Minivans, Moms, SUVs

Safety Tuesday: Humorous Review

Car safety is a serious subject but you're gonna be tempted to laugh when you watch this!

 

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags:

To Minivan or Not? Moms Sound Off in "The Minivan Wars"

"I don't care how much my SUV costs me, you'll never catch me in a minivan!"

"The sliding doors, the space, I don't know what I would do without it."

"I wouldn't be caught dead..."

"My elderly parents and kids matter to me more than looking cool."

If you want to start a heated debate amongst moms, forget about politics. Ask them about their cars. Then ask them if they would ever consider driving a minivan. Now put on your safety goggles and buckle up because the conversation could get very bumpy.

I recently polled a large group of moms, asking them for their candid car stories and reasons why they loved or hated their vans. It wasn't just for fun. I'm currently in the market for a new car. As the mom of four kids, size is really an issue for us. We have two young stroller-aged kids in carseats and two older ones that frequently bring along their nearly adult-sized friends and piles of school and sports gear. Thus there are days when I have wondered if I'd be better off with a maxivan. Something akin to the airport shuttle. Especially if they'd drop me by the terminal and let me gate check myself for the next flight to Tahiti.

When you have three or more kids, everyone knowingly advises you to get a minivan. It's practically a given. A given that makes many moms bristle -  like you've questioned their right to vote.

While every vehicle option seems to come with strings (be they social, environmental, or other) no vehicle stirs up strong emotions amongst moms quite like a minivan. It's the old station wagon on steriods and as a social icon, it's fully loaded with more than a DVD player and leather seats.

When I set out to write this piece I hoped to set aside my own emotions and  learn from the insights of others. And in my quest for automobile enlightenment I came across some fine tales.

Stay tuned over the course of the next few days. We're bringing you both sides of the argument and we welcome comments from readers as well. I already know what I am buying. Perhaps this discussion will help another mom (or dad) make up their mind as well.

In the meantime, here's an episode of "Mom my Ride" for you. It's an oldie, but a goodie!

Part 2: The Minivan Wars: Moms Against Minivans
Part 3: The Minivan Wars: Moms Who Love Their Minivans Speak Up

 

By Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (2)
Tags: minivan, Moms

Grab this swicki from eurekster.com