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NoseFrida The Snotsucker #Review from Thanks Mama

"Thanksmama.com is family owned and operated natural baby store. They offer a great selection of cloth diapering products, potty training pants, swim diapers, natural baby care products, baby carriers, bibs, toys, nursery furniture and bedding, strollers and much more. They look for innovative products that are good for the baby and the environment and they never forget that most families are on a budget. That’s why Thanks Mama offers the Lowest Prices, Free Shipping on orders over $60 within USA, 90 days easy returns; Buy Safe Guarantee and Price Guarantee. Thanks Mama does ship worldwide!

Follow Thanks Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest or Google +. They host weekly Giveaways, Contests, Sweepstakes, Twitter Parties, talk about modern family fun and challenges, natural parenting and green living. "

For this review, I will spare you the pictures of the product in use! LOL. Instead, I will show you how the NoseFrida looks right out of the box (below).

 I had the opportunity to use this on Fuss as she was having a tough time with her allergies for a couple weeks when the weather changed...and changed....and changed. She woke up one morning particularly congested and instead of reaching for her allergy medication, I grabbed this admittedly unusual item that Thanks Mama sent me for review.






So, I pulled the NoseFrida out of the box and read the instructions. It consists of 3 parts. The aspirator tube, the collection tube, and the filter. You take the collection end (blue part) with a filter in place and put the end in the child's nose. Then you take the aspiration tube and suck air in, therefore suctioning out the snot. The filter prevents anything from being pulled up into the tube - and inadvertently into your mouth.

I was immediately able to get quite a large amount of snot out of Fuss's nose with the first use. The only problem I had with it was dealing with the sound it makes. The sound alone was enough to make me gag, but I gag sometimes when helping her blow her nose! I will definitely be using this for the new baby instead of the bulb-style suction. After all, I can EASILY clean the NoseFrida with warm water and a little soap. Plus, it is clear so I can be sure it is clean and mold-free before use. The suction bulbs are well-known for growing mold after just a use or two. Check out the NoseFrida and other Health & Safety items Thanks Mama has available!

I sincerely thank Thanks Mama for the opportunity to review this and the other items and I hope you will head over and thank them as well!

Bumkins Reusable Snack Bags #Review Courtesy Thanks Mama

 My second item from Thanks Mama are these great Bumkins Reusable Snack Bags. I was actually able to wash these in the washing machine along with my kitchen towels and they held up without a problem. They are also better than the other brand of snack bags that I have with Velcro closure since these have zippers. First, they are much more secure than the ones with Velcro closures because the Velcro tops just fold over allowing smaller snacks (like Cheerios) to spill out the corners. Second, they actually hold slightly more than the Velcro closures, again because of the fold-over top versus a zipper.

Fuss was very excited to get these and they arrived just at the right time as my baby shower was November 9th and then we had countless doctor's appointments between then and Baby's birth. Fuss was able to take a snack bag full of her "honey nut toasted O's" (LOL) with her whenever she wanted. Some days that included traveling around the house or sitting in her little recliner. 

The Bumkins Snack Bag is made very durably and has withstood a toddler dragging them to Kingdom Come and back again as well as being taken to a party with multiple toddlers around her age. I think at one point they were using it as a football and it didn't tear around the seams or at the zipper! These are definitely going to come in handy for when Baby Boy gets old enough to eat small snack foods as I will be able to carry them around in the snack bags and not have to have those bulky canisters with me all the time. 

Above, Fuss modeling her Cat in the Hat Snack Bag. lol. For more information on Thanks Mama, and their other great Feeding supplies please read below and be sure to stop by their site and follow on their social media accounts for more chances to win great prizes!

"Thanksmama.com is family owned and operated natural baby store. They offer a great selection of cloth diapering products, potty training pants, swim diapers, natural baby care products, baby carriers, bibs, toys, nursery furniture and bedding, strollers and much more. They look for innovative products that are good for the baby and the environment and they never forget that most families are on a budget. That’s why Thanks Mama offers the Lowest Prices, Free Shipping on orders over $60 within USA, 90 days easy returns; Buy Safe Guarantee and Price Guarantee. Thanks Mama does ship worldwide!

Follow Thanks Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest or Google +. They host weekly Giveaways, Contests, Sweepstakes, Twitter Parties, talk about modern family fun and challenges, natural parenting and green living. "

Cloth Diaper Store Thanks Mama Bumkins Art Smock #Review

I was sent a few items from Cloth Diaper Store Thanks Mama about 2 weeks ago. I will be posting the reviews of the other items pictured separately. First, a little bit about Thanks Mama:

"Thanksmama.com is family owned and operated natural baby store. They offer a great selection of cloth diapering products, potty training pants, swim diapers, natural baby care products, baby carriers, bibs, toys, nursery furniture and bedding, strollers and much more. They look for innovative products that are good for the baby and the environment and they never forget that most families are on a budget. That’s why Thanks Mama offers the Lowest Prices, Free Shipping on orders over $60 within USA, 90 days easy returns; Buy Safe Guarantee and Price Guarantee. Thanks Mama does ship worldwide!

Follow Thanks Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest or Google +. They host weekly Giveaways, Contests, Sweepstakes, Twitter Parties, talk about modern family fun and challenges, natural parenting and green living"

The one that was used immediately was the Bumkins art smock pictured in the middle of the photo above. I actually hung it still in the package on Fuss's art easel. It took all of about 5 seconds for her to see it and come running to me, "Mommy! What is this!? Is it for me?" LOL. She naturally asked where it came from and I told her it was sent specially for her. Naturally, she HAD to take it out and put it on immediately!

 Here is the picture of the original packaging...which lasted all of 10 minutes. Fuss took it out and tossed the plastic in the trash. I'm just glad she had been "helping Daddy work on the truck" when I opened the package! (For the full line of prints and other bibs and smocks just click here. Seriously, they are AWESOME!)











And here is Fuss sporting her brand new smock standing in front of her easel. The smock has pockets in the front which are great for storing crayons or markers...or even tools for helping Daddy out (yes, she did that too).

I love the fact that it is made of a waterproof fabric just in case they spill something. Fuss actually dumped a half a bottle of chocolate milk down her chest shortly after finishing her project on the easel. She also had dry erase marker on the front of the smock.

So what happened? Well, all I had to do was toss it in the wash on cold delicate cycle with the rest of Fuss's clothes. I pulled it out before the dryer and hung it to dry. Easy peasy! The best part? The dry erase marker came off the front (we had a little bit of color residue on the back side, which was probably my fault) and ALL of the chocolate milk washed off, and out, of the smock. The pocket, which had been full of milk, didn't even have a trace left on the stitches inside! Honestly, if it hadn't been soaked in milk I would have been able to simply wipe the smock with a damp cloth to get it clean.

Fuss insists on wearing this smock now nearly every time she plays with her easel. It is easy for her to slip on and the Velcro closure at the neck makes it really simple for her to fasten herself. It also ties securely at the waist. Overall, I think this is a great product and a great investment for your little artist. I only wish it also came in a long-sleeved version. Or at least 3/4-length to help protect long-sleeved shirts.


Be sure to head over to Thanks Mama and check out their other great products! You can use the code "5off" to get $5 off your order of $60 or more just for being a follower! :) And head over to the Thanks Mama Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+ and show them some Crunchy love! Then, be sure to hit up their BLOG for some awesome tips and weekly giveaways!

Below are a few more shots of Fuss modeling for me. She was so thrilled to be able to model! LOL.

Stuffing crayons in the pocket.

#Review of Fred's Swim Academy Swimtrainer

photo from ThanksMama.com

 
ThanksMama.com provided me with the Fred's Swim Academy Swimtrainer to review. I chose Stage 1 but could have used Stage 2 just as easily (they were out of Stage 2) for Fuss's weight range. She is around 30 pounds based on her weight at her 2-year checkup. The sizes range from 13 all the way to 80 pounds! There are 3 stages based on your child's weight and abilities:

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Red

• Approximately 13-40 lbs
• Helps a little one get comfortable in the water
• Helps teach correct leg movements

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Orange 

• Approximately 33-65 lbs
• Helps teach correct arm and leg movements

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Yellow 

• Approximately 45-80 lbs
• Helps transition a child to swimming without any floatation device

Fuss in her Swimtrainer

Back View

In the Water

As you can see, it fits very well on her and is actually VERY adjustable due to the inflatable side supports. This is what makes this product unique as well. It is also easy to store. Just flatten it after deflation and fold it into the box again. (Sorry for the poor quality pictures. My camera was left at home and we were at a hotel for the weekend of Hubby's Grandma's funeral.)

Here, you can see the Swimtrainer in action! At first, Fuss was hesitant to wear it at all, but as soon as she jumped into the pool, the struggle was all forgotten! She LOVED it! My SIL was also there with 2 of her 3 kids, "The King" who is 7 and "Queen Elizabeth" who is 4. Of course, The King couldn't try it out for us...he is too big and already knows how to swim. However, Queen Elizabeth was at the upper end of the weight range (40 pounds)  for the Swimtrainer, so we decided to try it on her as well. Naturally, it was snug and the inner chambers needed to be deflated more than for Fuss. However, it fit and Q.E. was able to enjoy swimming in it as well!

Q.E. enjoying the swimtrainer.

The Swimtrainer is very durable and easy to put on with the "quick clip" in the back. The clip also has a clear protector over top to keep it from being accidentally unbuckled should your child happen to run into something (or another kid trying to undo it). Honestly, the clip is kind of hard to get open when you're struggling with a twisting toddler, but I'd rather have that than have it popping open all the time!

For Fuss, being able to have freedom in the pool was great. She swam for over an hour the first night. Then, when we went home and went to our local pool, she swam for almost 2 hours straight! She is really beginning to get the hang of kicking correctly and moves very quickly through the water. She now even tries to put it on herself! Since this one has worked out so well for us, I will probably be purchasing Step 2 by next summer to help her learn arm strokes more easily. The only caveat to this trainer is that if the kiddos happen to flip upside down, they can't right themselves. They are still head above water, but it is important to note. There is a reason that it tells you not to leave a child unattended (DUH!).

I want to thank ThanksMama.com for sending me this Swimtrainer to review! It will definitely be used for a long time to come! (Even passing it down to friends and a future baby is within the realm of possibility.)

P.S. Here is a video of Fuss's first time swimming in the Swimtrainer.