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1st Bday: BestView Handheld Color Video Monitor

February 28, 2010 By 218 Comments

When we were pregnant with our first baby, we registered for and received an audio baby monitor. It served us well for the short time we had it, enabling us to hear our baby’s squeaks and squirms and cries from the adjacent room (***we co-slept for the majority of the first year, but our baby still went to sleep before we did…).

baby sleeping 1st Bday: BestView Handheld Color Video MonitorThen, with our second baby, we upgraded to a video monitor and kazaam! we loved it instantly.

We currently have a video monitor in each of our girls rooms. It’s nice because if we hear a bump or a whimper in the night, we can peek in and know what the issue is right away. When we just had an audio monitor, we’d rush in at the slightest noise and, sometimes, we would end up waking up our daughter in the process! Now, we can see our girls from wherever we are in the house. It’s comforting to be able to see if they are sitting or crawling or if they bumped their heads, etc.

7edae16c3d1d372e4092f219eedfc244 150x119 1st Bday: BestView Handheld Color Video MonitorIf you are currently registering for baby gear and are overwhelmed by the myriad of monitor choices, I have a recommendation for you: the BestView Handheld Color Video Monitor by Summer Infant.

Here are the features that make it stand out from the rest:

  • The video quality is much clearer than its competitors and the 2.5″ LCD screen is large enough to ensure good visibility.
  • The system is reliable and rarely has any static.
  • The base swivels around the room so if your baby moves, you can remotely keep the camera on your baby instead of sneaking in to adjust the position of the base.
  • The camera also zooms in and out so you can ensure that your baby is the star of your show.

Summary: The BestView Handheld Color Video Monitor by Summer Infant is the 4th video monitor we have reviewed to date and it is the best – by far.

Screen shot 2010 02 28 at 9.26.46 PM 150x78 1st Bday: BestView Handheld Color Video MonitorWIN IT! One winner will receive a BestView Handheld Color Video Monitor (~$199.99) by Summer Infant. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, March 8th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

* I received a product for review purposes.

*UPDATE* The winner is #66 Christy. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Get Baby to Sleep, Giveaways, Products I Like Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Books As Birthday Presents: Birth to Age Two

March 8, 2009 By 89 Comments

When it comes to birthday gifts for 0-2 year olds, books can’t be beat. They’re fun for kids…and for parents too!

Books provide hours of entertainment. They won’t add to the mountain of bulky toys in the toy box. Plus, they’re educational and they inspire parents to spend quality time with their wee ones. 

Give a book – and you’ll be guaranteed smiles from both parent and child.

Following please find my top 9 picks for the birth to age two category. Most of them are board books and most of them are under $10. ALL of them feature lyrical text and captivating illustrations.

Green Eggs & Ham – Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1960)

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Good Night Moon – Written by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Clement Hurd (HarperFestival, 1991)

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Only You – Written by Robin Cruise, Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine (Harcourt, 2007)

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That’s Not My Puppy – Written by Fiona Watt, Illustrated by Rachel Wells (Usborne Publishing, 1999)

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Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? – Written and Illustrated by Karen Katz (Little Simon, 2000)

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Put Me In The Zoo – Written and Illustrated by Robert Lopshire (Random House, 2001)

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Hush Little Puppy – Written by April Pulley Sayre, Illustrated by Susan Winter (Henry Holt and Company, 2007)

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I Love You Through and Through – Written by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church (Scholastic, 2005)

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How Do I Love You? – Written by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church (Scholastic, 2009)

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SO…Are you shopping for a gift for a 6-month-old, a 1-year-old, or a 2-year-old? Why not buy 2-4 books? Wrap them with fun paper and add a big bow on top. TA-DA! The perfect gift!

WIN IT! One winner will receive the last two books highlighted in this post: I Love You Through and Through and How Do I Love You?. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, March 16 at midnight (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.). * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.

*UPDATE* The winner is #16 Becca. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Books, Giveaways Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,