Strawlution winner!

First, another story about the straw's awesome powers, and my kid's random tastebuds.

I went to Jamba Juice yesterday and, because I rarely think things through to the end when making an impulse decision, I chose the new berries and beet fruit and veggies smoothie (there's two other flavors as well).
Yeah, Foodie Baby's in a new shirt and I got a berries and beet smoothie.
I thought for sure that it was going to be stained, but since I didn't notice how deeply red the smoothie was until I was picking it up and Foodie Baby was escaping out the front door, I had no choice.
Luckily, I had a spare lidded cup with a Strawlution straw in it, so I just dumped some of the smoothie in my cup and prayed.
Foodie Baby didn't get a drop on him and he drank two cups!
I on the other hand, took a sip, decided the lady was silly for suggesting it tasted like pomegranate (if pomegranates had a definite beet taste) and declared Foodie Baby more adventurous than me for the time being.

back to business...

The winner of the Strawlution giveaway is Lara!
And I loved her silly straw idea...
My dream silly straw would be a dolphin one with a butterfly on the nose of the dolphin. :)
Of course, I also loved the monkey with googly eyes (because that makes everything rock!) and the cute puppy (who doesn't love a puppy) and the backhoe (that would work really good for a root beer float, I would think!)
Someone get the patents going!

Remember, if you're local, a pack of ten is at Kissui for $7, and they have multiple colors! Perfect for shoving in an Easter basket (what kid doesn't get excited over straws!)

Thank you everyone who entered!

Review and Giveaway- Straw-lution

Foodie Baby

I love to pull out my straws from cups with my teeth. I get bored easily, I guess.
Mommy found a way around it, darn it.

Mommy

Back in the early days of this blog, I Googled my way around the Internet looking for items that would be of interest to anyone that read this blog (namely, things that would make dining out or mealtime at all easier).
One of the more interesting ones I came across was a straw.
A straw, you say?
I'm sure here is where people are imagining some kind of super silly straw that somehow turns into a spork and makes the food organic and devoured with relish.
I wish.
I found the Straw-lution online and immediately though "Hey, that's cool." I bookmarked it and continued with my hectic life until I finally came across a physical package of the straws at Kissui in Redlands and bought a pack of yellow ones.

I LOVE them.
They are made to be used with packages that are drinkable and come with a plastic or foil top (that can be punched through- think Capri Suns).

They are the same size as the straws that came with Foodie Baby's take-and-toss cups (that I now usually bring to restaurants so he has a guaranteed sturdy drinking cup).

Actually, they are slightly wider- I have to shove the straw through the hole from underneath, and push aside the little teeth that are in the inside.

That can be hard, especially when you have a chewer like Foodie Baby, who likes to chew on things and makes flat ends on straws, making me have to bend it back into a circle to stick in.

One I had to do that a few times to already cracked a little on one end.

To the left is what it looks like in a cup- this is one from Chevy's (an experience I have yet to write about).

The straws are made of thick plastic, and the little things that keep it from going back through a lid are sturdy.
Foodie Baby has picked up his little take and toss cup by his teeth and the lid nor the straw has not come off.

I have tried a variety of options for using the Straw-lution (some are mentioned on the bag), including a yogurt cup.

For the yogurt cup, Foodie Baby ended up making the hole bigger, which made it harder for him to keep the straw still,but it still stayed in the cup.

(See the chewed straw?)
Another aside- this was soy yogurt. Foodie Baby chugged it.

The applesauce was a bigger challenge for Foodie Baby. The regular-sized applesauce cup with a lid was a little harder to poke a hole with, but made it through neatly. The straw, however, was too long to go straight in, so it had to sit at a sharp angle.

Which could be fine unless you're like Foodie Baby and notice how much applesauce is still in the cup you he hasn't gotten yet and gets upset.

To the left is what it looked like afterwards. Foodie Baby was satisfied with the result.

The website says that the straws are BPA-free, so don't worry that the package doesn't.

They come on four colors, yellow, pink, blue and green.

At Kissui they are $6.99 for ten, and I've only pulled three from the packaging so far (one to stay in diaper bag, one is in the utensil caddy after being washed (dishwasher safe!) and one has already gone missing in action.

So there you have it! A proven way to make dining out easier. Restaurant cup? Throw a straw in it. Pack a pudding as a treat? Got a straw for you.

Packing a work lunch? Grab your kid's straw.

Drink a pudding cup as you do errands! (OK, I'm not going to promote driving and eating. Even though I have been known to do it.)

Ready to try some? Run down to Kissui, check out the website and make sure to post a comment telling what YOU thought of Straw-lution!

GIVEAWAY!

I have a pick of the yellow Straw-lution straws to give away!

To enter- (please post a comment for each entry)

-Leave a comment describing your dream silly straw (mine would be a unicorn!)
-Like Foodie Baby on Facebook or say you already have

-Follow Foodie Baby on Google or say you already have

Contest ends Thursday, April 14 at midnight and the winner will be announced April 15.

Disclaimer- I purchased both the reviewed product and the giveaway.

Dapper Snapper winner announcement!

Thank you everyone who entered!

Out of 26 eligible comments...

As picked from random.org...

JENNI!

Jenni L said...

Like Dapper Snappers and commented.. I hope I win one so I can try this out, I've heard great things.

Don't forget, if you didn't win, Kissui in Redlands sells Dapper Snappers, or check out http://www.dappersnappers.com/

 

Dapper Snappers review and giveaway!

A few months ago, I was finishing up a nice early dinner with my mom and Foodie Baby at a Cheesecake Factory in Brea, CA (I had the luau salad, he had the butter-and-Parmesan-covered pasta, I forget what my mom had).
Being a tired mommy not used to her child's new tendency to hike wherever he wanted, when I got out of the booth I took him out of the high chair and put him down, then turned to grab the diaper bag.
It was a nice busy area of the restaurant, a birthday party across from our booth that had several ladies smiling when Foodie Baby clapped with the rest of the table, and multiple servers bringing their entrees.
Foodie Baby (as I think the more experienced mothers are now guessing) went toddling down the row of booths. Unfortunately, his pants, which had to be long enough to cover his slim legs in the cool weather, were too loose in the waist, and as I tried to dodge servers and catch my suddenly speeding wobbler, his pants started slipping down past his Pampers-clad booty and treating a traffic jam as he slowed.
I grabbed him in a swoop and carried him away, pulling up his pants as I did so. Thankfully, no one tripped over him, not even the nice waitress carrying multiple plates.

Foodie Baby has spent time rocking some seriously sagged jeans, and I hadn't found a solution yet besides letting him wear high-water jeans that fit his waist or folding the waistband over (not a good solution either).
(before picture, to the left)

I tried a Dapper Snapper belt, and the saggy pants haven't been a problem when wearing it. At all.

Seriously, I love this thing.

Foodie Baby's Dapper Snapper toddler belt fastens on through the back three loops of his pants.

It is totally adjustable depending on the size needed. Right now, Foodie Baby wears two snaps in on one side, one on the right. It is stretchy so there is give for active growing children.

Dapper Snappers come in many colors and several patterns, so you could match your boy's belt or girl's belt to their outfit- Foodie Baby's navy one goes well with his jeans.

He's a tee-shirt and jeans type of toddler.

(Also one that climbs tables, chairs and couches. But I digress.)

There's several other styles, including clips instead of snaps and an adult-sized Dapper Snapper belt (hello, expectant moms!)

Dapper Snappers are designed to be worn for children aged 9 months to six years- one size fits all.

(Below is a supplied photo from Dapper Snapper)

In restaurant situations, you can have a fidgety, squirmy, wiggly little one being lifted in and out of a high chair or booster. Having a belt for an outfit a little on the baggy side can be helpful.

Not only by less risk of the pants coming off when they are lifted out of the high chair (thank goodness, only at home has that happened) or to help keep errant food out of their diaper (excellent place for cracker crumbs... a fun surprise during diaper changes!)

Learned from experience: I recommend to put the Dapper Snapper belt on the pants before putting them on your toddler when you're getting dressed, otherwise you have a melodramatic kid not wanting to stand or sit patiently while you thread it through, or you will have to undress them to put the belt on, then chase them to pin them down and get them dressed again.

At least if they are like Foodie Baby.

Authorized Giveaway

One lucky winner will win a $25 gift certificate to the Dapper Snapper website!

You must do the following and post separate comments for each entry (including an email address)

Follow Foodie Baby on Google and/or on Facebook (if you already do, please say so)

Follow Dapper Snappers on Facebook and post on their wall

Bonus entry!

Follow Dapper Snappers on Twitter

Contest will run a week. Winner will be chosen at random on Monday, January 3rd at noon.

Good way to start a new year, right?

December 29, 2010- Contest extended due to lack of entries. Winner will be announced Monday, January 10, 2010.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was given a Dapper Snapper belt to review for this blog. I received no monetary compensation for my review.