Kinderfeets Balance Bike Review

I love anything for my boys that will keep them active and burn off their excess energy! And this adorable super fun wooden balance bike from Kinderfeets surely does the trick!

Both boys could hardly wait to tear into the box when it arrived on our porch. We put it together right away and Big Brother was zooming around the house in no time! As you can see in the photo, there are very few parts and everything is included that you need to put the bike together. So easy even Big Brother was helping me with the Allen Wrenches. I'd say maybe 10 minutes in all from box to biking!

Kinderfeets has really put a lot of thought into all the details to make this balance bike unique. For one there are foot pegs for your kiddos feet once they have mastered their balance. This give their little legs a rest allowing them to cruise around. Another is the no air tires. Go anywhere and everywhere with no worry of a flat tire. The first time we went riding in our neighborhood with this bike Big Brother ran over a nail. It was sticking straight out of the wheel. I pulled it out and we were on our way. Air tires would have made for one sad kid walking home with his bike. Instead we continued on our merry way.

The bike also has a low step through frame which allows for lower settings of the seat and for smaller our younger kids to be able to ride. And you know this was created by a parent as it has a washable seat cover. Um hello, super smart. Especially with my boys.

Even with all of those awesome features, my very favorite feature of this bike is the chalkboard finish. Not only will your kids already love their Kinderfeets bike, but they can now customize it in anyway they choose. Each day your child can have a new a fun bike design. And you might think chalkboard would be a black finish but that is just one of 6 different colors you can choose from. We reviewed the yellow bike, but you can also get black, red, pink, green, blue or natural wood with no chalkboard finish.

Kinderfeets bikes are designed for ages 2 and up and with a weight limit up to 65 pounds. Little Brother is two and could sit on the bike with the seat at it's lowest, but he needs more practice to balance and keep upright still. Big Brother on the other hand is four and a half and we had the seat on the highest setting for him. He could easily zoom all over. Big Brother has really long legs so the frame looked a tad bit small for him, although at 38 pounds he could ride it for quite some time before ever reaching the weight limit.

Big Brother does not do good with training wheels. He thinks they are scary with the tipping they still allow. With a balance bike or push bike there are no need for training wheels. Your child will learn balance at a safe height and many children will move right into a larger pedal bike with no training wheels once they are ready.

What I also love about Kinderfeets and balance bikes in general is that they can go anywhere and over anything. This is because your child's feet are pushing along, just as if they are walking or running. Over sticks, grass, hills, rocks and more. Great for camping and trails. Have you ever been trail riding with training wheels? No way!

If you are looking for a bike for your little one, a Kinderfeets Balance Bike is a smart choice that will grow with your child. A classy, fun and sturdy design that is sure to keep your child on the move for hours and hours and days and days! At $130 ($109 on sale as of writing this post) you will get your money's worth to every last cent with this bike.

You can find Kinderfeets on Facebook and I recently spotted them in my Natural Child World Magazine making headlines as a top natural "green" option for your kiddos. My kids are happy. I'm happy. Be happy too and check out Kinderfeets! Guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Bummis Training Pants Review & Giveaway

Little Brother just turned two and we are just starting out with potty training. I'm hoping this time it will be smooth sailing as he has Big Brother to learn from.

I remember having the hardest time finding a quality pair of training pants for Big Brother while he was learning. Something that looked and felt like underwear but had more protection for accidents. There are many options on the market now, including these new Training Pants from Bummis.

These training pants look similar and pull on like real big kid underwear, yet they have two hidden absorbent layers and a waterproof outer layer to prevent leaks and daytime accidents. They are designed to be comfortable but still let your child feel the wetness.

They come in four sizes. Little Brother is 28 pounds and we were sent a size medium with a weight range of 25-30 pounds. They are a little bit snug on Little Brother and I think the next size up would be more comfortable and a better fit for him. That being said however, even in the beginning stages of potty training and an accident, they did not leak one drop.

Little Brother was proud of his new underwear and the fabric was soft and comfortable. They are made in Canada and are free of BPA, lead and phthalates. I think these would be great starter underwear, giving your child the freedom they want yet saving a lot of clean up mess for you. I do wish they had a color option for boys.

Bummis Training Pants are $15.95 and can be purchased from ThanksMama.com.

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.

WIN IT! Have a little one that is potty training or will be in the near future? Enter now to win a pair of Bummis Training pants for your own review! Save some stress and mess and try Bummis!

Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

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FirstBIKE Balance Bike Giveaway

I'm so excited to be teaming up with my friend Tara at A Spectacled Owl again on another awesome giveaway! This time a FirstBike balance bike.

Tara had the opportunity to review FirstBIKE with her son Ryan and by the looks of his picture, it didn't disappoint! We are huge fans of balance bikes in general here at my house. Such a great way to start little ones out riding. They can literally go anywhere with their bikes and no scary training wheels.

Bike riding weather is on it's way (at least for those of us who have been stuck in the Winter months) so enter below for a chance to win your very own FirstBIKE in the color of your choice! ($160 value!!!)

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Monster Cookie Pancakes Recipe

So once again I thought I had the best idea for a new breakfast idea this weekend, and once again someone had already beat me to it! Monster Cookie Pancakes...don't they sound wonderful?

I thought it was a great idea and so did The Baker Mama. Her photos are so awesome and detailed and you can get a great printable recipe page from her site too. I switched up the recipe just a bit to health it up a bit, but guaranteed you will love these if you love Monster Cookies.

Monster Cookie Pancakes
approx. 16 pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup greek yogurt or applesauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups milk
hand full of chocolate chips
hand full of craisins
mini M&M's or other extras of your choice (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar.

2. In a separate bowl add eggs, lightly beat. Mix in the vanilla and yogurt or applesauce. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth. Add the milk and mix until well combined.

3. Mix wet ingredients into the dry. Add in the chocolate chips and craisins and any other extras.

4. Lightly coat with cooking spray a frying pan or skillet. Over medium heat pour about 1/4 cup batter and cook until you see light bubbles around the edges. Flip and cook about another 2 minutes.

5. Serve with topping of your choice! We used syrup but they are nearly just as good with a dab of butter and nothing else.

They sound completely sinful, however they are actually a pretty healthy breakfast and packed with protein from the yogurt and peanut butter. Served with a side of turkey bacon and some fruit and you will be ready to start your day!

Enjoy!

My PINK 50's Diner Booth

I've been dying to tell you all about my new dining room table. As part of our little makeover/remodel we are doing around here it was time to have a proper dining room. It has been used as my office, play space, sitting space, you name it, it has been everything but a dining room.

I wish I had some good before photos to show you. Trust me, it wasn't good. We had our love seat, a small table with stools and a rolling storage cart...not good at all.

Sorta somewhat before in the background

So began the search for a table that would fit our family, maybe a couple friends and most important the small space we have. We used to have a big pub style table and I loved it, but it was really just way too big and had too many chairs for the space. It sat in our garage for a bit until we finally sold it.

We talked about doing a breakfast corner nook idea but I just hadn't came across the perfect table set yet. And if you know anything about me, it is that I rarely go buy something brand new. Craigslist is my go to shop. But you have to be patient and not super picky.

I'd began to get bored with my local searches and I wasn't seeing anything I liked, so I started to look at towns nearby. One evening I spotted this pink diner booth in a town a couple hours away. Hmm could that be the one? Would it fit? Could I live with PINK?

I taped off the measurements on my floor and measured and re-measured as it was a long drive a big piece of furniture if we weren't completely sure it would work.

In the end, as you already can tell this amazing 1950's PINK diner booth table was "the one" and fits our space and family perfectly!

I had to do a little bit of scrubbing, and it has a few little marks and fading, but for being as old as it is it is in amazing condition. It was custom built for the home where we got it, so there is nothing exactly like this out there. And trust me, they do not make tables like this anymore! It is heavy duty materials and built to last!

Happy Boys

Dirty

To make the table even more of a score, was the young couple we purchased it from. Super sweet and friendly and someone I would totally be friends with.

So now that I've gone a little retro, I'm looking to upgrade my dining room light and can't wait to search garage sales this summer for some vintage diner pieces. And I actually don't mind the pink. It has grown on me and I love the authenticity that it brings!

1950's Pink Diner Booth = $120. Our happy little family = Priceless :)

Stonz Rain Bootz Review

It is that time of year again here in Oregon. Rain. Rain and more rain. One child could have multiple pairs of rain boots, guaranteeing there is a pair dry and ready to go at a moments notice to go outside and play.

I was offered the opportunity to review the new rubber rain bootz from Stonz and of course immediately jumped at the chance! We can definitely put them to the test here in Oregon and Little Brother was due for a bigger size.

The new Stonz Rain Bootz come in four great color choices. Yellow, Blue, Pink and Gray. All have black trim and are super shiny and bright! We chose the blue boots and were so excited when they arrived! They look just like the picture online in color and shine. We couldn't wait to put them to the test!

We ordered size 8 which is just a tad big for Little Brother, but I always like to order up to make sure they don't outgrow them too fast. I would say the boots fit very true to size. And a bit big in a rubber boot is no big deal, if needed you can always add a thicker sock.

Besides the look of the new Stonz Bootz, here are a few more reasons that we already love them...

• 100% natural rubber
• Durable and tear resistant
• Quick dry 100% cotton liner
• PVC free
• Phthalate free
• Lead free
• Formaldehyde free

Little Brother loves his new rain boots and so do I. They look adorable and keep his little feet dry and cozy. They are built to last and have a really durable treaded sole. I love that there are no chemicals in them and they are such a fun bright color. We will be getting a lot of use out of these boots this coming Spring and Summer for camping as well.

The new Stonz Boots cost $35.99 and range in sizes from toddler size 5 to youth size 4. You can also purchase the Stonz Boot Linerz for added warmth as well.

I was introduced to Stonz through their fabulous Booties, we have owned two pairs of these and have used the heck out of them. Stonz makes great unique products that are a must have for any child. They make great gift ideas as well.

You can follow Stonz on Facebook and Twitter for updates, giveaways, sales, coupon codes and more! I can't say enough great things about Stonz. If you have little ones and love to be outdoors, all of their products are for you!Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Ikea Hack Entry Lockers

Ok be honest here, does anybody else have an entryway that looks like this? Ok so this was after I took a few coats down to start my project, but honestly the entryway was driving me nuts and was looking sloppy.

Our house is small as I've noted many times before and we don't have tons of extra space. This is our main door and well as our family has grown, so has the clutter. So in good timing with my goals to get organized for 2013 and the small remodel/makeovers we have been doing around here I was on the hunt for a solution.

Finding a solution that fit our narrow entry was a challenge. Even an extra inch can make or break the deal. I was so happy to find that Ikea has their Billy Bookcases that are only 11 inches deep. PERFECT!

Next challenge. Getting Billy Bookcases from Ikea. The nearest Ikea is over two hours away and they don't ship. Boo! So I began hunting my trusted and dear friend Craigslist. Search, search, search. And BAM! One day there they were! Somebody within a few miles of me was selling nearly an entire house of Ikea furniture! OMG are you kidding me!

My original plan was to do four of the tall and skinny Billy Bookcases in white and make a locker for each of us. As the lady only had two of that size I had to adjust my plans and got the double Billy Case and the two tall skinny bookcases to make my four. I am so happy that it worked out that way too because the double case has doors on the bottom to hide some of the clutter and I just made four locker units out of the tall ones.

You will see that all are the birch wood look too and one white one. I actually really love the look of the wood and white together. Gives it a little bit of character and the wood goes with our flooring nicely. And of course I really love the price. I spent $125 for all the bookcases together. Well below half price had I bought them new from Ikea....SCORE!

Now I did have to buy coat hooks and brackets and screws so that added about $30 more to the total. But $155 for a custom entry locker is ok by me.

I put a double hook on each side of the four cubbie units. Making sure to maximize the hanging space. You can't really hang a hook on the back unless you were to take off the backing and screw into the wall as it is just cheap fiberboard. We also mounted them to the wall and bolted them all together as to make sure all is secure and safe.

Well, a major improvement don't you think? I am so excited about this makeover and that I was able to do it on a budget as well. Another small step in our house remodel/makeover for this year!

Firmoo Glasses Review

I was recently introduced to Firmoo, a global online optical store. I wear glasses all day, every day but had never heard of them before. I had the opportunity to review their site and glasses and I have to say I'm quite impressed!

Ordering glasses online sounds scary right? How do you know if they will look right, or fit right or will they even get your prescription right? It does sound scary but it was really painless and fun with their Virtual Try-On System. You can view the glasses on other people/models on their site or you can upload your own photo and see a fairly close idea of what they will look like in on you in person. I uploaded my photo and went to town trying all the frames.

When you are ready to purchase you will want to have a copy of your prescription from your eye doctor. This is very important to not only get the right prescription, but to get the right distance between your eyes or Pupillary Distance (PD). Your prescription from your eye doctor should look very similar to the menu choices when ordering, making it very easy to get everything right.

You do not have to have a prescription to order glasses from Firmoo. You can purchase them for fashion with lenses but no prescription or you can purchase only the frames and get lenses through your eye doctor. You can also purchase one of their many fantastic frames as sunglasses.

Did you know you can have regular eye glasses tinted and made into sunglasses? Well I didn't. I haven't worn sunglasses in years! When Firmoo gave me the option of choosing a tint in 20%, 40%, 60% or 80% I knew that is exactly what I needed to do! You can also choose your tint color of blue, brown, gray, green or purple! Who knew?!? So I picked out my frames, put in my prescription and decided on a tint of 60% gray.

Ordering was extremely easy and I had my glasses very quickly. My prescription was spot on and you would never know they were tinted eye glasses! I am absolutely loving having sunglasses again and they are cute and stylish too!

Firmoo has just about any style and shape of glasses you might be searching for and then some. And they are so sure that you will love them that they offer your first pair FREE! That's right...FREE glasses! All you have to do is pay the shipping!

So it's that simple! Try your first pair of glasses on Firmoo and while your there check out all the affordable options they have to offer. Stop wearing your old outdated frames and become a fashion statement! I dare you!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.