Go Organic

Want to buy a baby you know a cute little outfit? Want it to be 100% organic, and made with water-based & baby-safe dyes? Well look no further than Noah's Inspirations. A little while ago, their Chief Inspirator - Edward Dunigan - contacted All Thumbs, and with the gift of two onesies (one for a giveaway!), we easily arranged this review.

Originally, I chicklet, will admit to wondering if this review was really for me. While they DO offer very cute baby onesies (and I DO have a baby), my concern was the religious phrases used on the clothing - I'm an atheist. But digging through their site a little, I found half of them to be just really simple and applicable to any situation. And I felt like if you could get me interested in them, why not anyone else? I'd kinda be a tougher sell wouldn't I?

So we made the arrangements, and I received the "Holy Terror" onesie for D, and all in all, it's really quite cute. It fits him great (he's long, so is wearing a bigger size), it's REALLY soft material, and so far it's washed quite well. Admittedly I'm a cheap-ass so the $25 price point is a bit more than *I'd* normally spend on my own kid, but when buying gifts, I'm usually willing to spend a little more - particularly when I know organic matters to the mom - so these are totally within the normal price range of what I'm finding for organic baby clothing. It also helps to know they're using water-based and baby-safe dyes.

Noah's Inspirations can be purchased online, and their return policy is one of those good ones that some online stores don't abide by. So this reviewer would give Noah's Inspirations two thumbs up.

Giveaway:

To get your own FREE 12-mo-size baby onesie (we chose the "Miracles Do Happen" in honor of the IF chickas still reading), just leave a comment here stating who the Chief Inspirator at Noah's Inspirations is. The winner will be drawn Sunday March 6th.

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Show & Tell: Ups and downs

Have you ever had one of those amazing friends, the kind who will not only come over and pack up the house you're moving from, but also remember to bring plastic champagne flutes and a bottle of bubbly to the house you're moving TO?

Who will cheerfully pick up your kids from school with zero notice when you have a meeting run late? Who drives you to the airport for a 6 am check-in?

Who comes over to your house for dinner and doesn't leave until she has your kitchen spotless?

Who loves and teaches your children, and who loves and teaches you?

I have that friend. And she is my sister. As well as my new co-blogger here.

In her previous product review, Tami announced that she was looking for a jog stroller because she had found out on New Year's Eve that she was pregnant. This was great news, because her husband's paralysis back in 2007 had put their family-building on hold. Gino had just recovered enough to resume his job as a police officer, right at the first of the year -- perfect timing.

Well, Tami and Gino found out last week that the baby had stopped growing. She was able to have the miscarriage without medical intervention over the holiday weekend, and yesterday's ultrasound shows that she is doing as well, physically, as can be expected.

My sister is incredibly resilient. She is also doing amazingly well emotionally.

But I ask you, many of you who haven't yet had a chance to absorb her wonderfulness, I ask you to either leave your words of support for Tami and Gino below, or over on her solo blog. She has not yet written a post about this latest turn of events (not sure she will), but you can leave a comment for her and Gino here.

She'll still be reviewing. Stay tuned.

And thanks, from me, for your support of my sister, whom I love deeply.

See the cool stuff our classmates are showing and telling over at Mel's Show & Tell.

Image: Me and Tami, circa 1970, Asbury Park, NJ. Story here.

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Vibrams FiveFinger for yoga and for running

Shortly before my husband's accident last summer, he had gotten into Chi Running, which champions trotting about in bare feet. My fitness activity, yoga, also tends to be done barefooted. So when we heard about Vibram Five Finger shoes, which provide the benefits of bare feet along with protection, we inquired about trying them out.


As a blogger and reviewer, I qualified for a $25 discount off the $85 retail price. We carefully followed the ordering instructions (women's sizes run 34-42) because precise fit is imperative.

One thing to note about feet and Five Fingers is that "if the foot length varies more than 1/6 in. it will be difficult to get a precise fit for both feet." And "if your second toe is more than 1/6 in. longer than your big toe it will be difficult to get a precise fit."

After checking and double checking our sizes, I emailed our order sheets for his and her pairs. Last July.

Three months later (!), I received my pair, a KSO style in grey/fuchsia. What is KSO? The Vibram's website says "KSO IS BEST FOR: Running, Fitness Training, CrossFit, Light Trekking, Bouldering, Water Sports, & Travel."

And here is a description: ...our most versatile style for women. Featuring a thin, abrasion-resistant stretch nylon and breathable mesh upper that wraps your entire forefoot to “Keep Stuff Out.” A single hook-and-loop closure helps secure the fit. A non-marking 3.5mm Vibram TC1 performance rubber outsole is razor-siped for a sure grip, and a 2mm EVA midsole enhances plating protection and comfort.

I've had several months now to try out my Five Fingers while doing various activities. If it's not too cold, I enjoy wearing my Five Fingers out and about. But because there's no insulation I do not wear them when the terrain is icy. Not for the slip factor but for the brrrrrr factor.

While they ARE the first pair of shoes I've ever owned that required instructions on how to put on, and while they DO take a little extra time to wriggle in to, I DO enjoy the feeling of having my toes separated. Others have told me that such a sensation would drive them nuts.

And people have told me that the color scheme I chose makes me look like I have the feet of a cadaver. Perhaps I would have done better with the camouflage blue.

Photo by Aimee Greeblemonkey, taken at a WiiFit Plus party

These shoes have worked perfectly for me walking around and practicing yoga. And I wore them recently during a TurboKick class. All went well until the last few minutes when the underside of my big toe began to hurt. I made it to the end of class and drove home. When I removed the shoe, a small piece of grit? lint? something ordinary -- had gotten past that breathable mesh and had worn quite a blister. Youch.

Verdict? For yoga and for be-bopping around, I give Vibrams Five Fingers one thumb toe up.

And here is a review of my husband's experience with Five Fingers as a running shoe:
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Know why that's blank? Because in spite of the 7 months, the 7 follow up emails and 4 followup voicemail messages, I CANNOT GET VIBRAMS FIVE FINGERS TO TAKE AND FULFILL THIS ORDER. Or even let me know why they won't.

For running? Big toes down. Both of them.

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Wave a Magic Wand, Get the Perfect Stroller

A shopping we will go. A shopping we will go!

Now that we are planning on life with a new baby, one of the things on my mind is figuring out how to get back into shape after the baby is born. My husband and I just returned from stroller shopping. I'm not sure if I'm thrilled or disappointed, but I think the decision we made five years ago will be the same decision we make again.

The first time around at registering for baby gifts, we furiously waved that magic shopping wand around. Friends advised us to register for everything we could imagine because we might just get what we want.

When seeking strollers, we chose the smart, lightweight "normal" stroller that everyone else got. It came with the car-seat and it probably folded up teeny-tiny enough to fit into a Mini Cooper with room to spare.

But I knew this stroller would be too awkward and bumpy for my daily runs around the nearby lake. So the magic wand also captured the Jeep Liberty Limited 3 Wheel All Terrain Stroller by Kolcraft (currently $140 through Amazon). From my naive viewpoint, what impressed me most was that it had speakers near the top of the stroller so that I could enjoy good music without wearing earphones, which would prevent me from hearing if the baby had burst into tears. Or choked on a Cheerio.

This was cool.

Then one day we went to the zoo with the stroller that didn't tout the ability for the car-seat to snap in. A long day it would be with nowhere for the baby to fall asleep, then stay asleep when transferred from the stroller to the car. So we attempted to snap the car-seat into the Jeep Liberty Stroller and (insert drum-roll) it fit! The stroller I thought would only work for running quickly took over all stroller duties.

At 35.7 pounds, the Jeep Liberty Stroller is heavier than "lightweight" strollers that weigh around 23.5 pounds. But it still fits easily into the back of my Jeep Liberty SUV. (And let's face it. It's just plain cool to have a Jeep Liberty SUV and a Jeep Liberty Stroller!) As advertised, it folds easily with one hand, since the other hand is often holding the baby. Not only does the car-seat fit into it, the regular seat reclines so my son can enjoy the scenery while sitting up, or enjoy a rare nap while laying down. Both positions (and any position in-between) are protected by a safe 5-point harness. Changing positions seat positions is smooth, even with baby in the seat -- important when you want to slyly recline a baby who has fallen asleep.

A recent trip to a sporting goods store revealed that many high-end jog strollers feature a fixed front wheel, which prevents the front wheel from swiveling. Some people prefer this stability for jogging. This stroller features my choice. I can choose the fixed-wheel option when desired, but can unlock the wheel so it swivels for maneuverability. (Even as a jogger, I've never, ever liked the wheel in the fixed position.)

The Jeep Liberty Stroller has lots of cargo space. For at least three years the stroller replaced the car as our means to get to and from the grocery store. We asked the checkers at many stores if we could gather our groceries in our stroller instead of a cart. No problem! Several days worth of groceries fit, with extra room for diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, toys, etc. On excursions with others, it easily fits shopping bags, coats, purses, toys, etc.

Not only is the baby entertained by music (my son knows Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire and ABBA's Mamma Mia word-for-word), he can pretend he is driving via his own, animated steering wheel that makes car noises like a revving engine and honking horn. He also has his own perfect-sized places for snacks and drinks. (Both parents each have their own drink holders, too.)

Downsides?

• Some strollers have tubeless tires, which I think I would like to try. More than once I've found goat-heads in tires that I had to replace. Tires were quickly, easily and inexpensively replaced by bike shops. (The stroller has a small hand-pump on board.)
  
• This model does not have a handbrake like some more expensive ones do. But I've gotta say, I've never been in a position where I felt so out of control that I needed a handbrake. Likewise, it doesn't have the safety rope that connects the stroller to the runner's wrist in the event of a run-away stroller. We improvised with a short dog leash.
• The foot brake wore out after about 1 year and 750 miles, but one email to Kolcraft had me a new brake system in a few short days, along with a new seat that wasn't coffee stained (I mentioned the drink holders, right?) -- all for free.

After test-driving 17 different models at 5 different stores, I'm sticking with the Jeep Liberty Limited 3 Wheel All Terrain Stroller by Kolcraft. Now the biggest question is whether to overhaul the 5 year old stroller with nearly 2,000 miles on it, or wave the magic wand and hope for a new one.

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Want easy access to products recommended by Lori and Tami? Help support us by visiting the All Thumbs Store, which has no added markup. Just easy shopping, good prices, Amazon security and thumbs up ratings.