A simple review of Bright Starts "Playful Pals" Bouncer

There are so many bouncer options on the market that finding one you want is exhausting and overly complicated. As a first time mom I had no clue what my baby would like or need, so I narrowed down my list by color/theme and price. For those of you who value space-saving baby gear, or can't afford expensive 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 products, this bouncer is small and simple, doing the job without all the bells and whistles of its higher-priced competitors.

My baby, *Arrow, using the bouncer

As of right now, Amazon shows 4 1/2 stars and I'd say that's pretty accurate. It isn't as cushioned or padded as other bouncers but that just means it's easier to remove and clean the cover. You get what you pay for, and it bounces easily (which is the entire point). It's also easy to put together, secure, fits a pretty hefty baby, and is relatively small. My son loves the lion and atom-like shaker toy that came with the bouncer and hang on the bar, but I do wish the toys were removable/replaceable. This bouncer also sits in just the right position, I believe, as I have another bouncer that makes a ton of sound and motion he loves but he practically has to do crunches in order to see it.

It seems all of the Bright Starts bouncers are essentially the same, with the only difference being color and pattern.

Everything is bad for you

This post is about food. Recently, non-GMO campaigning has sprung up, the organic section has gotten larger, and all the while companies have been making more chemical-filled food faster than you can say "That's bad for you."

Before I got married in 2010 my mother got cancer, so I began an endless search for what was healthiest for her, what possibly helped her get sick in the first place, and what I myself could eat to keep from getting cancer as well. A few years later and I've tested being vegan, started buying mainly Non-GMO Project verified foods, USDA organic foods, chemical free beauty products, made a compost bin, recycled heavily, and lots more. I believe because of that effort to learn and follow through with as healthy a lifestyle as we could manage, my mom survived two different cancers and all the health problems I've ever had have gone away.

I hope to apply all I've learned toward raising a healthy son - and so far so good. He is very healthy, in the 95th percentile for growth, and has been hitting development milestones that are months ahead. Soon he will be eating his first solid foods, which led me to research the best commercial cereals. After I narrowed it down to one oatmeal cereal (and after reading much on the subject of arsenic in rice) I then found a few places that told me that the oatmeal cereal I had narrowed it down to was not actually organic because the "organic" algae was raised on genetically modified food, and that it could be harmful because of x, y and z. UGH.

Then I typed in "Why can't I just make my own infant cereal?" Grind up some oats and call it a day. Seriously.

But I don't want to half-ass my child's nutrition.

Those thoughts led me to researching first foods given traditionally in multiple countries and that America is doing it wrong. When my brain finally reached its limit on conflicting, seemingly pointless inquiries and debates, I decided I'm just going to fed my baby egg yolk as his first food (highly recommended by other people that did more research than I did) and slowly introduce other things like banana, avocado and liver. Yes, he'll get his oatmeal and some quinoa, but I'm definitely going to breastfeed as long as possible and let him lead the way with food, because... jeez. Everything is bad for you, it seems.

Baby gear I wish we bought

I love our Graco Duet Connect (except for the fact that it can't be plugged in and only operates on batteries) but I really wish we'd just registered for a swing and bouncer separately. I've only taken apart the duet once and I really just like having each part in different rooms - he swings to sleep and sits in the bouncer during playtime. And as I mentioned in the parenthesis I wish we'd gotten a swing with the optional plug-in, because DANG, batteries be expensive! However, a recent walk through the local baby store made me realize our swing-bouncer is the biggest seat option and will hold him much longer for weight and height.

Had I known I was going to breast feed in bed / be too tired to want to get out of bed to put Arrow in his swing or bassinet / get zero sleep the first two weeks of his life because I was so worried any time he was a foot away from me, I would've gotten one of those bed co-sleepers like the Summer Infant "By Your Side Sleeper." In fact, if he wasn't growing so fast I would go get one right this second, because man, he really hates his bassinet.

Different bottles. Arrow does not have a great latch/is fussy, and has known the difference between breast and bottle from about one month old, so he is really picky about the three different options I had for him. Even the Munchkin Latch doesn't work well for him. With bottles you really never know until you try them, but I just wish I had been able to get a single bottle in at least four styles/brands in hopes that I would've had one he really liked.

An automated/battery operated gliding or rocking bassinet. I was dead-set on getting a bassinet that had what I like to call "cat protection," which means a zippered cover like a tent that can keep bugs and other pests out of the bassinet. Since I have cats in the house I wouldn't have had to worry about them jumping into the bassinet when I wasn't looking. The Karley bassinet I bought by Dream on Me will also come in handy protecting baby from bugs outside if I chose to bring him out on a nice day, perhaps under the shade of a tree while I garden or chat with the neighbor and the baby takes a little nap.

I was gifted a used infant car seat, but had my friend not been so generous in her donation, I probably would've let the internet moms and another friend of mine convince me to get an infant car seat anywhere between $120 and $220, so long as it had side impact protection and glowing reviews with at least one review that stated it saved the baby it was carrying in a real car accident. The only problem with being persuaded to get a great infant car seat is that I could've just skipped to a great convertible car seat with infant insert, such as the Maxi Cosi Pria 70 with tiny fit. Despite what I have read online, there is no reason not to just skip the infant seat altogether when there are such top-of-the-line and even all-in-one options. Unless you have a preemie, but then if you have a helpful friend who can loan you an infant car seat out of the hospital, you realistically won't need it again. (Assuming you have nurse home visits where you're at or could keep the borrowed seat for a couple of weeks to use for doctor visits.)

I hope this has been helpful, and please let us know what you wish you had bought for your baby!

Life is about to change

Welcome to the world, First Post.

Let me preface this blog by saying that I recently gave birth to my first child and now I need an outlet for my thoughts. As my baby grows I will share pictures, projects, outfits and adventures.

I welcome you to get to know me. I'm really very simple:

1) I love food. I dare say more than any one thing, my life revolves around food, so things like Whole Foods, a new Japanese restaurant, the farmers market, or walnut cake with chai spice excite me. I eat super healthy, super constantly. 2) I'm really laid back. I don't do much, I don't expect much, the internet and TV/movies have replaced my human connections, and my ultimate life goals are owning a big house with lots of rooms to decorate (or a super mini version of the Grand Budapest Hotel), and going on lots of vacations in the future. 3) I want the best for my son where it matters: health, education, love. I want him to grow up around people that genuinely care about him and aren't faking it because that's what they do with the rest of their lives. I want him to experience every good thing the world has to offer. 4) I am nice, and will never create drama or say something negative or when it's not my place to say it. I don't say catty shit like "I didn't think you would be a good mother." Nothing makes me happier than having a friend to spend free time with, who genuinely enjoys spending time with me doing just about whatever. So if someone wants to talk shit or be rude, I'm just going to back off, slowly creeping away into the shadows like a ninja, until they decide to get off their high horse and keep it real. 5) Maybe ironically, I'm a very nostalgic person. 6) Pinterest is my drug of choice, with an occasional binge of Youtube.