Gear | The TaterTwins

Little Helper

6 Sep posted by Jayme

The other day while Dylan was napping, Aaron was trying to get some housework done but Ryan was not cooperating. He was leaving a path of destruction behind him so it was impossible to get anything done. Finally Aaron decided to throw him in the Kelty so he could vacuum without stopping to pick up toys every two minutes.

I love this carrier. Kelty has six different child back packs, and currently 5 of those are on sale. When choosing ours, I decided we didn’t need the deluxe ones with sun hoods and changing pads, but I did like that there was a mini-backpack behind where the boys sit for a couple diapers, a wallet, or snacks. Because of that, I selected the FC 1.0 model.

With the auto kickstand, it’s easy to not only get your child safely buckled into the carrier, but also to get it up onto your back. In fact, I can do it myself without help. With many child carriers, I need Aaron’s assistance to get them on me properly. The padded straps and waist belt are comfortable and make it easy to carry the weight. Additionally, it distributes the baby’s weight nicely and I don’t feel off balance.

This particular carrier holds kids up to 50 pounds and the padded child seat itself is adjustable, letting you use it for babies and toddlers of different heights. There’s a five point harness and toy loops too. Yet, with all of these features, the Kelty FC 1.0 weighs just under 5 pounds!

I’m excited for fall and cooler weather so we can start going on walks with our new carrier. Both of the boys like to walk, but only have so much stamina, so this way they can take turns. It will be nice to be able to do things without the huge double stroller as well.

Do you think I’ll look goofy if I use it at the grocery store? Now that the boys are bigger, I can only get one in the front of the shopping carts, so I end up throwing the other in the back and they’ve been tossing food out or stepping on it…

All summer I’ve been bringing Lili with me to push the stroller so I can keep them both out of my cart, and she’ll be in school now. So I’m thinking if I put one twin in the seat of the cart and one in the Kelty I’ll be able to shop more peacefully. Do you think I’ll look ridiculous?

Maybe I’ll just shop in the evenings when I can bring along someone to help…

5 Comments
Filed Under: gear, Review

Silly Men!

14 Jun posted by Jayme

Sometimes my husband baffles me. The other day, he asked me if we should just get rid of our twin strollers since we don’t use them anymore. I swear I looked at him like he had just grown a third eye on his forehead!

He’s always been a really hands on parent, so it’s not as if he’s unaware of what it takes to deal with two toddler boys. I couldn’t believe he didn’t think we used our strollers any more! I keep one at the house and one in the van. Granted, I’ve been using our choo-choo wagon way more often than the one at the house lately, but the one in the van still gets plenty of use.

Remember my recent post about the day I went to put the twins in the stroller when we were at the mall and I realized it had a flat tire? That trip right there reminded me of just how necessary it is to contain Ryan and Dylan!

I’ve always loved strollers. I can’t even name how many we’ve had through the years! Singles, doubles, deluxe, simple umbrella, jogging- if it’s been invented, we’ve probably owned it at some point. I think different strollers suit different needs. I have one with big tires, for walks at the park and other outdoor places with potentially uneven ground. However, those wheels are huge and cumbersome while at the mall, so I have another, more compact one we use there.

I think it will be awhile before my guys are officially too big to be strapped into a stroller. It’s different with twins as well- when we just had one toddler, Aaron or I could carry a sleepy baby if we left the stroller behind. With two, it’s so much harder to juggle everything. I think even when we do ditch our double strollers, I’ll be sure to keep a single on hand, just so I can at least let one ride (and hold any potential shopping packages!) Maybe a nice Maclaren stroller- I have yet to own one of those…

What age were your kids (especially if you have twins!) were you ready to get rid of your stroller(s)?

6 Comments
Filed Under: Aaron, spon, strollers

School Supply Lists

9 Aug posted by Jayme

I totally understand that kids need to bring their own supplies, and I have no issues with sending pencils, paper, crayons, etc in on the first day like always. However, I swear each year the lists get longer, and they want more of each thing. And then… usually at least two-three more times through out the year, we get notes home saying the classroom is running low on glue or tissues or something, and could we please send more in.

I’ve been scouting out local stores like Walmart- they always carry each school’s shopping lists. I’ve had no luck finding our elementary school until tonight- when I came across the lists on the school’s website when I was working on my weekly Macaroni Kid newsletter.

Kindergarten

1 Backpack
1 Pair of Scissors
1 Full Set of Clothes in a Labeled Ziploc Bag
1 Container of Liquid Soap
4 Boxes of Tissues
1 Box Fine Point Markers
1 Box of Wide Point Markers
4 Pkg. Crayola-Brand Crayons
1 Box of #2 Pencils
1 Gallon Size Ziploc Bags
2 Plastic/Vinyl 3-Hole Punched Pocket Folders
1 Composition Notebook
24 Glue sticks
1 Bottle of Elmer’s White Glue
1 Pint Size Ziploc Bags

Here’s Mia’s list. First of all, I am hoping they mean 2 – 4 glue sticks, because I am NOT buying 24 of them! Secondly, I hate when they don’t say how MANY crayons- do they want the 8 pack, 24 pack, what? They always want Ziploc bags as well, and I always wonder what for, since I never see bags used for anything. And four boxes of tissues? We go through about that many a year for our whole house, and if each kid is bringing four… where do they store this crap? I’d think ONE box per kid should be sufficient.

3^rd Grade

7 dozen wooden pencils (NO mechanical pencils)
2 24-Pack Crayons
1 Pair of Scissors
3 inch Binder with Clear View Cover
1 inch Binder
Quart Size Plastic Baggies (Boys)
Gallon Size Plastic Baggies (Girls)
1 Sturdy Plastic Folder
3 Packs of Wide Rule Paper
3 hole Punched Pencil Pouch with a Zipper/Velcro (NO Boxes)
2 jumbo glue Sticks
2 yellow highlighters
1 Bottle of GermX
1 Ream of White Copy Paper
1 USB/Thumb/Flash Drive (256 mb minimum)
1 Box of Kleenex

Ahh one box of tissues… whew. And only two glue sticks, nice. But SEVEN dozen pencils? Is my kid going to go through 84 pencils in one school year? I’m glad they let us know what count crayon box to get as well. And the thumb drive- man, third grade is getting high tech!

So what is on your kids’ back to school shopping lists?

19 Comments
Filed Under: gear, school supplies, shopping

Cloth Diaper Wholesale (Review & Giveaway)

30 Jul posted by Jayme

I have another amazing cloth diaper giveaway for you guys today- brought to you by Cloth Diaper Wholesale! If you are looking to cloth diaper on a budget and would prefer the simplicity of one sized pockets to prefolds and covers, Cloth Diaper Wholesale is the place for you!

I’ve been cloth diapering my kids since Mia was in dipes, and I know that typically new pocket diapers go for about $20. While in the long run, the cost of cloth diapering even for even at that price is far cheaper than disposables, but the thought of shelling out the money to get enough cloth at once can be daunting.

With these diapers, not only are they even MORE affordable, but they are one size- which means they’ll fit through potty training. With the snaps on the front of the dipe, you can adjust the sizing from XS to Large in a snap- literally! In addition, each diaper comes with an insert. Not all diapers are sold with them included, so that’s another additional expense you don’t need to worry about with Cloth Diaper Wholesale!

Cloth Diaper Wholesale sent two of their diapers to try out on the boys. While these diapers are way less expensive than other brands, I definitely do not notice a difference in the quality! They are just as reliable and cute as the more costly diapers. No leaks, strong snaps, absorbent inserts- not to mention cute prints and a great fit. I really couldn’t ask for anything else in a diaper!

Available in several cute colors, Cloth Diaper Wholesale diapers are available for purchase to the public directly from their site! Not only can you buy the diapers singly, which is often not the case with items that are wholesale priced, but you can also buy them in packages of 8 and 15, with FURTHER discounts! Pricing starts at $10, and shipping is only $2.50!

Or, you can win one!

To enter to win this plum one-size Wholesale Cloth Diaper and insert, just comment on this post by 8/14.

The winner will be chosen on 8/15.

US only please!

For additional entries: (Please leave an extra comment for each entry you complete.)

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Disclosure: Cloth Diaper Wholesale sent me two one-size cloth diapers for this review. All opinions about the diapers are 100% my own.

29 Comments
Filed Under: 1st Birthday Bash, cloth diapers, giveaway, Review

Rocky Mountain Cloth Diapers (Review & Giveaway)

2 Jun posted by Jayme

I’ve got a great giveaway for you all today! Rocky Mountain Cloth Diapers is going to give one of you a one-size diaper and microfiber insert! I first used Rocky Mountains on my boys when they were tiny- in fact, I wrote about them last August when I first got them & here is what I said:

We use cloth diapers on the boys, and I recently received two Rocky Mountains to try. I was skeptical of all one sized diapers- I was not impressed with the brands I’d used on Mia in the past. I liked them fine at the largest setting, but hated all the snaps and bulk when used on smaller settings. I also figured that while they generally say they fit from birth to potty training, that there was no way they’d fit on my skinny little preemie boys.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that these diapers have a fantastic fit! Not only am I able to get it tight enough on the waist because of cross-over tabs- but the internal adjustment system is genius- you tighten the elastic to change the sizes- so no more giant gaping leg holes on the boys! I love these diapers

Aww look how little my guys were! I attempted to recreate that photo today- I put them back in the same exact diapers- since they are one-size, they still fit perfectly. Unfortunately, they’re way more mobile now, so it didn’t exactly work out.

So why are Rocky Mountain Diapers so great? I’ve mentioned the internal adjustment system. I love that feature- not only does it cut down on the bulkiness, but it also eliminates all the snaps on the front of the diapers. I also like that they have a snap closure, not hook & loop (velcro), because as my babies get bigger, they tend to be able to undo their hook & loop diapers. Plus, despite the laundering tabs, the vast majority of my hook & loop diapers end up as one big diaper chain in the wash. In addition, these diapers also feature cross over tabs, which some other snap-closure one sized diapers do not- guaranteeing a much better fit on littler babies.

Do you want your own Rocky Mountain Cloth Diapers?