Parenting: How Things Change and Judgement

How's everyone doing on this fine Tuesday? I hope all is well with all of you and you are conquering your early week tasks.

Baby J is teething right now (4 top teeth all at once, YIKES) so he needs some extra comfort which in return has not allowed me to get much research done on my next product review. But, I did have some other topics I wanted to discuss with all of you and wanted to get some feedback on what you think about some of these issues.

As new parents, my husband and I have discussed how we want to raise our kids. Now Baby J is only 9 Months old, but it's never too early to discuss how you want to parent. Will we be strict? Will we try to be the "cool" parents of the group? When will we let them get a cell phone? What about computer and social media access? Will we give allowance or just buy things freely?

There are a million questions as parents, but you will never have definite answers. I think generally you have an idea of how you want to be as a parent and how you want to deal with certain issues. However, I don't think you can truly know how you will react and solve the problem until the situation comes along. I think we reflect on how we were raised to determine how we want to be as parents, but so much has changed since then and the big no-no's of our generation, are normal occurrences now days.

My parents weren't strict, but they taught us right and wrong. My sister and I weren't angels by any means. We lived in a small town, and we knew that if we did something wrong our parents would find out and we would suffer the consequences. We both didn't want to deal with our consequences because our parents were tough when it came to discipline. Discipline has become such a different thing through the years. If you were too tough or spanked your children it was considered child abuse in some eyes and you were a bad parent.. If you were too nice and just let the child off easy, you were considered a push over and a bad parent. So which is right or wrong? You be the judge. Because they are your children.

Obviously, things are different. My sister and I had cell phones, I was 11 years old and she was 14 years old. Which 11 years old seems too soon to give a kid a cell phone now, but our phones weren't anything like the phones now. We couldn't text, couldn't take pictures, use the internet, and the only game we could play was snake. We didn't have the social media that kids have now, which causes a lot of trouble. We had a family computer that was in a public area so our parents could see what we were doing. We were active in sports and we played outside all the time. It seems as if kids are glued to the TV, video games, and their cell phones these days.

Now, I am only 23 years old and I am a new parent so I am not an expert parent by any means. But, I do notice things happen that wouldn't fly with our parents and realize how much things have changed. There are many ways to raise a child, and different types of parenting. I have no right to judge how you raise your children. Like I said, we have a general idea of how we want to be as parents but we will never really know until the situation comes along.

I think we reflect how our parents have raised us and use that to better our parenting. Luckily, my in-laws and my parents had the same type of parenting and that helps my husband and I agree on a lot of our parenting "rules".

So, here are my questions: Does your parenting style resemble your parents? What differences did you have compared to your spouse? What are some things you notice about todays generation, that wouldn't have flown with your parents? Do you feel judged by other parents? If so, for what reason? What are some of your rules for your children?

I would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment below or message me with your answers!

Until next time, Loves!

- Danielle

PRODUCT REVIEW: CHICCO ECHO STROLLER

Happy Friday y'all!

Oh, how this week has been an emotional roller coaster. We are trying to reorganize our house and sell things off that we don't need to declutter because we really don't have much storage space. That means we are looking at some of Baby J's items and debating on selling them. Of course, I want to save it all for another baby, but we don't have a clue as to when that will happen.

As we were looking at our office that is filled with old baby items. Chris said we should sell the travel system that we bought new for Baby J. Tears filled my eyes as I remembered putting Baby J in that car seat for the first time at the hospital to bring him home. We used the stroller a lot as he was a newborn because we would always sit the car seat in it when we went to run errands. I didn't want to let go of the set, but I kept telling myself that safety regulations may change by the time we have another baby and that we will know that it was the safest car seat out there.

We listed the travel system that day and it was sold within an hour. It was bittersweet. But on a brighter note, that meant I was going to get to shop for a new stroller for Baby J! Woohoo!!

I knew I had certain requirements when looking for a new stroller.

• Safety
• Comfortable for Baby
• A bit of storage
• Light-weight
• Smaller than our standard stroller from the travel system
• I didn't want him to have a tray
• I wanted the stroller to be at a comfortable height for my husband and I to push it. We are both tall (I'm 5'10, he's 6'0) and we didn't want to be hunched over to push it.
• Reclining positions for it little one fell asleep.

With my list of requirements it made the elimination process a bit easier. We looked online, and immediately the Chicco Echo stroller caught my eye with its bold colors. So, we headed to the store to see if they had a floor model that we could check out. Sure enough, they did! We got it down and I immediately started running through my checklist and looking the stroller over. It seemed to have everything I wanted and moved smoothly but I wanted to get one home to test it out a bit more.

The stroller comes in a variety of bold colors: Turquoise, Green, Red, Orange, Purple, and Gray. Target is the exclusive provider of this stroller at the moment and they only happen to carry 3 colors in store. We had to choose between turquoise, green, and purple if we were purchasing in store. Of course Chris said no to the purple, and he gravitated towards the green color because Baby J's diaper bag happens to be an Oakley backpack with green accents that just about matches the green stroller.

 

It's definitely bold! We brought it home and started the assembly. The assembly was quite easy! Basically it was just snapping the wheels in place and attaching the canopy. It took us a total of 8 minutes! It has a nice instruction booklet that explains everything very well and runs you through the process of opening and closing the stroller which is a breeze!

 

We put Baby J in it and took it for a spin. He seemed really comfortable, and liked when we reclined the seat. The seat has 4 different reclining positions that can be moved with one hand. The seat itself is nicely padded so I know Baby J is comfortable. The 5-point harness is adjustable and has shoulder pads for extra comfort. The footrest can also be place up or down for comfort.

 

The navigation is very smooth and easy to turn. Chris even made a comment about how smooth it was and the fact he didn't have to hunch over to push it! It seems to be very sturdy and safe. It has rear brake locks and the front wheels can be locked into swivel position or you can have it locked into the straight position if you aren't needing it to turn.

 

The canopy is nice, the only thing I don't like about it is that it can't be moved in front of J's face to block the wind and sun like our old standard stroller. But, it does cover a big area and if J is laid back it blocks the sun completely. The rear flap of the canopy can be removed as well!

 

A few additional features:; it has a parent cup holder and a nice storage basket that seems to hold quite a bit.

 

The ease of opening and shutting the stroller is astonishing. Just open the clasp and pull the handles and press the rear locking mechanism down and its locked into place. To close fold the canopy in and pull the rear locking mechanism upward, and be sure to release the secondary lock. Push the handles down and wait for the clasp to click into place. It even has a nice carrying handle!

 

I am really impressed with this stroller. It is just as convenient as an umbrella stroller but with the extra features and more sturdy!

 

We purchased the Chicco Echo at Target for $99.99 which is fairly inexpensive. The maximum weight limit recommended is 40lbs which is quite a lot. I feel like we will be using this quite often. I definitely recommend this stroller if you are looking for something light weight but for it to have some of the same features as a standard stroller. We are big fans of the Chicco products. Our travel system was a Chicco product, and our current car seat is a Chicco product as well. You know you are getting higher quality and the best safety with Chicco!

 

A++ in our book!

 

I hope you enjoyed this review.

 

Be sure to subscribe to my blog and share it with your friends!

 

Until next time!

 

-Danielle

We're learning here!

Hello beauties! How are you all doing on this wonderful Friday? I hope all is well with everyone.

This week has been CrAZy! Baby J is on the move and can't be stopped. It is so funny that us parents are always so ready and excited to teach our babies how to crawl but as soon as they do and they are mobile, we curse ourselves because they are everywhere and into everything. But, I wouldn't have it any other way, at least he is developing.

He also hit another milestone this week and decided to give mommy a heart attack at the same time. He pulled himself up! Yay [clapping hands]....but wait, he did it while he was in the crib, and decided to try and climb out! As I heard a scream in his bedroom at nap time, I ran in and he was hanging over his crib rail. EXCUSE ME, MISTER! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!? He didn't answer...

He had never tried pulling himself up on anything else until that moment. Daddy came home that evening and immediately lowered the crib down so that never happens again. 

This incident has inspired my post today. I wanted to talk about some of the first time parent mistakes that we have dealt with. After talking with some of my friends that have new little ones at home, they are first time parents and are terrified that they are going to mess up or that they will be judged for something they have done wrong.

So, for my first time parents let me just share with you some of the things we have done wrong. We aren't perfect, we are learning as we go. That moment when you sign your discharge papers at the hospital immediately brings another level of anxiety. I remember asking my nurses if they could come home with me, they politely declined. I knew we were ready to be parents, but I had that same fear of what if I break him? What if I screw this up and he isn't normal? What are my sisters who have tons of kids going to say if I do something wrong?

I realized that there isn't an exact manual on parenting. Sure, there are the things that say "do this, not that" and you know some of your boundaries. Every child is different, every child reacts to things differently and develops on their own time frame. When I heard that a friends baby that was the same age as Baby J was eating more formula than him, I was worried I wasn't feeding him enough, like I was depriving him. But, I wasn't he just wasn't as hungry all the time as the other baby. They are different!! Please understand when you are reading your precious baby books and searching social media that "My baby is 3 months old and rolling over" doesn't mean that your 3 month old is delayed in development. It will come with time.

As new parents, we do make mistakes. We are learning here! This is a non-judgmental place for you to share those mistakes. We have all made them, whether we share them is another story. But, I will share some of our mistakes so you know you aren't alone.

• I didn't try hard enough to breastfeed. Baby J didn't latch and wanted nothing to do with breastfeeding so I gave up instead of purchasing a pump and trying anyway.
• While we were in the hospital, Baby J wouldn't breastfeed but was crying because he wanted to eat. Our hospital is an exclusive breastfeeding hospital so they will push and push and push for you to keep trying even if that means baby doesn't eat (which is total B.S). I kept trying and he wasn't having it, but cried all night out of hunger and as I kept telling my nurse that he isn't latching and needs food she would tell me to keep trying. I finally stood up and said bring me formula so he can eat and he was a perfect baby after that, other than due to not having food and not passing bowel movements, he was jaundice quite badly. I didn't have a voice for my baby. I messed up and waited too long to stand up for my baby. I learned that he can't speak for himself, so I have to speak for him.
• Up until Baby J was about 3 months old, he had problems with bowel movements. We would have to give him glycerin to help him. I knew he needed to switch to a sensitive formula, but the doctor wouldn't authorize it and told us not to switch unless she authorized it. After those 3 months of nothing getting better, I had to once again get my own voice and switch him anyways. He has been perfect ever since. Once again, speak for your child and go with your motherly instinct.
• Teaching Baby J to sit on his own was horrible. He started sitting next to me on the couch and did fine at that, so I moved him to the floor where he didn't have the back of the couch to lean on. I surrounded him with pillows and sat with him and he was doing SO WELL! But, in walks Daddy and Baby J got excited and lost his balance and somehow missed the pillow and hit his head. He cried for a few seconds and was fine but I felt horrible.
• Our biggest mistake was made when he was 4 months old up until about 2 weeks ago (we are still trying to fix this mistake) and that was Baby J started waking at night crying. He had always slept through the night in his crib since he was about 1 1/2 months old. He was going through a growth spurt, teething and in pain. So what does Mommy do? I bring him to lay with us in bed to comfort him. I rubbed his gums until he went to sleep and he just stayed there. About a month later his teeth finally broke through and he wasn't in as much pain, but it was also the beginning of storm season and he would wake up crying hysterically when it would thunder. So, back to bed with us. He began to be so use to sleeping with us that he didn't want to sleep any other way. We tried every method to get him to sleep in his crib and it wasn't working. I would cave and bring him back and that is the wrong thing to do. So, we had to stick with a schedule and I would lay him in his crib while he was still awake and he would cry and cry and cry but would finally go to sleep. We are still working on getting him to sleep through the night, but he sleeps all night in his crib and that is a big success for us. NEVER LET YOUR BABY SLEEP IN YOUR BED (unless you don't mind it and prefer it that way, which we wanted him back in his crib)
• Pillow barriers are no longer acceptable. For the longest time, when I would get dressed for the day, Baby J sat on our bed and I had pillows all around so he couldn't fall. But, the worse happened when he learned that the pillows can still be crawled on. I stepped out of the room for literally one second to grab my hair brush and *thud* he fell off the bed! All it takes is one second for them to move. Please, please be careful. He never tested his limits with me before until the one time he did and he ended up on the floor. He is completely fine, and when I called the doctor she told me that it happens all the time as bad as that is but he would be fine. I felt like the worst mom in the world.

I hope that some of my mistakes have shown you that we aren't perfect. Things happen and you deal with it. We all have our babies best interests in mind and know that we would never do anything to jeopardize their well being on purpose. But, when you think "there is no way he will try to do that, or there is no way he can get over those" think again.

Share some of your stories in the comments or message me with a story. Just know that you aren't alone. We are still learning and know that no one is the perfect mother. If someone judges you for a mistake, ignore it because I guarantee they have messed up at some point too.

That is it for today! I hope you all have a great weekend! If there is anything you want to discuss or a product you would like me to review please let me know and I am happy to do so!

See you all next time!

-Danielle

MY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE FOR YOUR NEW BABY

Hey y'all!

Am I the only one still trying to get motivated after the long Holiday weekend? I swear, I just can't get my booty in gear! Also, I made the mistake of not wearing a high SPF sunblock when we went to the lake on Sunday and I have been hurting pretty darn bad! So, note to self: check SPF next time!

Today's blog post is a little different, it's not a review! I know some of my friends that follow my blog are first time expecting parents or just had their little bundle of joy and are still trying to figure out what is really necessary for the new baby, and what is nice to have. With my allergy we had to buy everything brand new for baby J and I had also just lost my job when we found out I was pregnant. We needed to figure out wants vs needs and I always tell my husband that if we are buying new, and paying full price, I want to get higher quality for it to last. Especially since we were buying all new, it would be in great condition if we decide to have another baby!

Here are the things that were a MUST for us:

• Convertible Crib - with a nice firm mattress. This way, the mattress will last a long time, and the convertible crib converts from crib, to toddler bed (you have to purchase the side bar separately), and then into a full size headboard and footboard. We purchased our crib during the Big Baby Sale at Target and also with a redcard, and our mattress at Babies R' Us with one of their 20% off coupons that we received for being a Rewards member.
•  Dresser - we purchased a 5 drawer chest of drawers from Slumberland, it happened to be on clearance and the wood color matched the crib perfectly. Be sure to check furniture stores in your area for the dresser, they usually have better deals then the matching dresser for your crib and you can negotiate on price!
• Car Seat & Stroller - we purchased a Chicco Cortina travel system. It included the car seat with base, and the stroller. The car seat can lock into the stroller, which is SUPER nice with a newborn. We didn't go cheap at all in this category. Chicco is one of the highest rated for their products and you can't put a price on your baby and their safety. We purchased the set at Target with our Target redcard. I highly recommend getting a Target redcard. We chose to get the card that is just linked to our checking account. All you need to do is ask for it when you check out at Target and have a blank check for the account you want it linked to. No credit check or interest rate or fees. The amount you spend at Target comes straight from your account like your normal bank card and you get the extra 5% off of everything!
• Pack-n-Play(PnP) - We wanted a PnP with the bassenet option for when we first came home with the baby. We wanted to have the PnP in our room so the baby was close to feed and since we were dead-tired we didn't want to be bumping around the house trying to get the baby. We went sort of cheap on the PnP we bought a BabyTrend PnP from Babies R' Us when it was on sale, it also came with a matching bouncer for an additional $10. We did purchase the sheets for the PnP which came  in handy since there were a few leaks and some spit up, it was easy to switch out sheets so it was always clean for baby.
• Dr. Browns Bottles - We purchased a small set of these at first. I had planned on breastfeeding but didn't want to invest in a pump and all of the supplies until I knew he could latch and I had a supply. Good thing I didn't purchase any of the pumping supplies. He wouldn't latch, and I lost my supply within a day or so at the hospital. So, we ended up purchasing more of the Dr. Browns Bottles. These bottles really helped with his gas and colic.

Here are some of the WANTS that I am so glad we purchased:

• Changing Table - This is one of the only items we bought used. We found it on Craigslist and after talking with the person quite a bit, I felt comfortable buying it as it was from a smoke free and pet free home. It is a basic changing table, with a few shelves. It has come in handy. We purchased a pad for him to lay on with a nice cover that he loves. We also purchased a few baskets that hold his diapers, washcloths and towels, and his medicine and diaper creams.
• Boppy Pillow - I LOVE MY BOPPY! Some find it to get in the way, and some find that they don't need it if they aren't breastfeeding. I however was very grateful for my boppy pillow, for those late night feeds that I have a hard time holding my own head up, he was able to lay on the pillow with his head propped under my arm and eat. I have also used it for when he was a newborn and was on the couch with me, he would lay on it and also do tummy time on it. Baby J is 8 1/2 months old and I STILL use it! I purchased mine at Babies R' Us with a 20% off coupon. I recommend getting one with the removable cover for washing.
• Swing - My mother was kind enough to purchase a swing for us. It is a Fisher Price Snug-a-bunny swing. Baby J took all of his naps in the swing up until he was 4 months old. Even if I needed to wash some bottles, I was able to put him in the swing turn on the mobile and he would be so content. She purchased the swing from Wal-Mart.

Now, I did make a purchase that I didn't necessarily need, and haven't really used. My glider is one of them, I thought I would get a TON of use out of this glider. I have used it a handful of times, usually for his late night feed or at this point, we are working on getting him to sleep in his crib through the night and I go in and rock him if he wakes up at 2:00am. My husband and I decided that we will put the glider in our living room when Baby J no longer needs it in his room because we did get a pretty nice glider. It was on sale at Target and we used our redcard.

Here are some of the little things you may, or may not think of that we purchased and I recommend (I will put where we purchased ours in the parentheses):

• Water-proof mattress pad - (Target)
• Sheets (bought a plain pack at Target, purchased his checkered flag sheet for his race themed room on Etsy) There is really no need to purchase a crib set. I purchased one and the only item I use is the crib skirt.
• Crib Bumpers - They say not to use crib bumpers because they are a SIDs risk. I purchased the breathable mesh crib bumpers that they can still breathe through if they get too close. (Target)
• Baby Monitor - We purchased an audio only baby monitor, and I wish we would have bought a video one instead, I constantly check on Baby J especially now that he likes to sleep on his tummy and a video monitor would be helpful. We purchased our audio set from (Target)
• Bottle drying rack - (Target)
• Diaper Genie - (Babies R' Us)
• Regular items - Burp Cloths, Clothes, Diapers, Diaper Cream, Washcloths and Towels, Baby Bath, Baby Wash, Lotion, Wipes, Q-Tips, teething gel, sunscreen, baby chest rub, socks, bibs and a diaper bag.

I think that is the majority of the things that were on my list when I started shopping for Baby J. There were other things that we have purchased since. We knew we wouldn't need a highchair, bowls, spoons, and all of the homemade baby food gear until Baby J got a bit older. We also purchased a jumperoo that he loves and other play gyms and such.

My biggest advice is to keep it reasonable. If you plan on having multiple children, purchase baby neutral items so you get even more use out of them. There are a lot of things on the market that aren't necessary so think hard as to if you are really going to use it. There were a few things that I wanted that didn't seem necessary so I waited until the baby was born and looked back at those items and asked myself if it would be more convenient, how long will it be used, and could I live without it...and most of the time, I didn't purchase the item.

I hope this helps, I know when I was on the search I liked reading what actual moms use and why. I may even use this as a check off list if we have another baby. HaHa!

You have a while before baby arrives, try to spread your purchases out, we bought our important items first and then the smaller items here and there every other payday. They don't have to be purchased all at once, and do your research on prices, look into reward programs and don't forget to sign up for programs online!

If you have any questions feel free to message me or comment below! I check my blog daily!

Happy Pregnancy! =)

See you next time!

- Danielle

PRODUCT REVIEW: CHICCO NEXTFIT CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT - INFINITI

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a lovely holiday and enjoyed your weekend. They always seem to go too fast!

My product review for today was brought up to me by my husband. He was overlooking the blog and noticed that I totally forgot to put up our car seat that we ended up going with, after our poor review of the Simpson car seat. I love the fact that he keeps me in check! HaHa!

After searching and searching after not liking the original car seat we purchased, we finally found one we both loved.

The Chicco NextFit Convertible Car Seat - we chose the Infiniti color which is a dark and light gray color.

We were a fan of Chicco prior to this purchase. We had bought a Chicco KeyFit 30 infant seat with the base and also the stroller and we LOVED it. Baby J fit nice and snug and it had the highest ratings. So, when we started looking for a convertible car seat we naturally wanted to look into Chicco.

We purchased the NextFit car seat at Babies R' Us after having to cross our fingers for a few days. We had called multiple stores around our area looking for this car seat and they were all sold out! I began to worry as to why there wasn't very many stores carrying this seat, and why no one knew when they would get a shipment in. Was something wrong with it that they haven't reordered? Was it being discontinued? Or is it just a REALLY good seat that everyone wants it?

After speaking with a manager at Babies R' Us, she informed me that Chicco had a high demand for this particular seat and that they were having a hard time keeping up. That made me feel better! At least I knew there wasn't a problem with the seat. Everyone wanted one.

The price for this seat was $299.99 which is on the expensive side, but well worth it in my opinion. I actually paid less because I am a Rewards member with Babies R' Us and they sent me a 20% off coupon. So, watch for coupons!

Now, onto some of the great features this seat has. I fell in love with it after the nightmare we had with the Simpson seat.

• Weight limits - For use with infants and toddlers rear-facing from 5-40lbs and toddlers to preschoolers 22-65lbs forward-facing.
• There is a removable infant insert to make the little ones more comfortable.
• Five-point harness with two-position chest clip for your growing child.
• LATCH system with SUPERCINCH technology to help you get the seat tightened as much as possible for a safe and secure fit.
• It has a slide path for the latch system belts built inside the seat so that when you are ready to make the transition from rear-facing to forward-facing you aren't having to get tangled in belts trying to switch. Just unhook the latch belt, turn the seat around, glide the belts to the back and latch again.
• If you are not using the LATCH system, there are nice storage compartments on the side to store the belts. The installation without the LATCH system is simple with the seats built-in belt lock offs.
• Removable cup holder.
• Machine washable seat cover.
• ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS - There is a six-position headrest with an integrated harness adjustment that grows with your child. This means that you DO NOT have to be tangled with harness belts. You WILL NOT have to take the seat out every time your little one is ready for a new harness position. All you have to do is press the button on the top of the headrest and lift up and it moves the harness position for you and gives you the extra harness you need! IT IS SO NICE!!

It has the ride-right bubble detector to indicate the right seat angle for both rear and forward facing.

HERE IS ANOTHER FAVORITE OF MINE......

It has 9 recline positions to accommodate your growing child and how it fits in your vehicle. The younger and smaller child will start at the 1st position and move its way up. I thought this was fantastic. One of my complaints with the other seat was that the height of the seat didn't match up with my car, it placed the button release and the harness strap squished against my seat to where we couldn't release or tighten the harness. But, with this seat with it in the first position we didn't have a problem and we could move it if needed.

I own a 2010 Chevy Impala and this fits perfectly in my car. The LATCH system with the SUPERCINCH technology works very well and was super easy to install. With our last convertible seat it was moving all around and wasn't snug on the seat at all and that was a big concern to me, but with this seat.....it doesn't budge. My husband tightened the seat and tried to move it and it just wouldn't budge at all! A+ in my book!

The material is nice and soft and it is easy to clean with just a wet washcloth. The cushion is almost like a memory-foam. Baby J LOVES IT! He is nice and comfortable and falls asleep almost anytime we go somewhere, even if he just had a nap!

I highly, highly recommend this car seat! It has to the opportunity to grow with your child until you are ready for a booster seat. We originally were concerned about spending that much money but, like I said...totally worth it in my opinion. It will grow the your child, great quality, and you just cant put a price on your child's safety anyways!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this car seat!!!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Rival Double Stack Food Steamer

Hello Ladies and Gents! This week I decided to do a review on my Rival Double Stack Food Steamer. I actually received this as a gift from my mother a while back and totally forgot about it. Man, I wish I would have remembered it was stashed in the closet because this thing has saved me a bunch of time! Amazon has this for sale for $49.95, I know my mother purchased it from Wal-Mart so I bet their price is a bit cheaper.

This steamer can be used for just about anything. Vegetables, fruits, seafood and other meats. It has two separate compartments, and you can choose to only use one if you don't need to use the other, and that way you aren't using more steam to heat the two compartments. The turn dial turns the steamer on and produces steam almost instantly. It has the timer on the turn dial that goes up to 60 minutes and once it reaches the time, it automatically turns off.

In the products box, you will find a nifty little instruction booklet that includes estimated steaming times for various food items. The only thing I was a bit disappointed with was it didn't have any fruit steaming times. But, don't fear that it will mess up your fruits, this steamer has a max fill line for water so you don't have worry about how much water for each item, and you can put them on the timer for a time that you feel would be right and if they aren't soft enough, just turn it back on!

Now, I mentioned that this has saved me a bunch of time, that is because I can easily chop things up, place them in to steam and I can steam two different things at once, cutting my time in half! I am using this mainly for making homemade baby food. Steaming the foods for your baby is the best way to maintain the nutrients in the food and lets face it, if your putting all the hard work into making your baby's food, you obviously chose this method because it is the healthiest and freshest, so you want to keep those nutrients. Once you steam the food, it has the drip tray that is full of any leftover nutrients and you can use that to thin out the baby food if needed.  Steaming also gets the food to the right mushy texture you want to be able to puree or even for your baby led weaning. I couldn't recommend this product enough!

Also, all of the steaming parts, other than the base, are dishwasher safe so it is very easy clean up! The base can just be wiped clean. It just holds the steaming water so it doesn't get very dirty anyway.

I give this product a 10 out of 10! Simple to use, easy to clean, foods come out cooked properly, and a major time saver for a busy mom like me!!

*My product reviews are based on my personal opinion*

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask and be sure to let me know if you have an products you would like me to review!

Have a great Holiday everyone!

-Danielle