Why I bought Expensive Car Seats

We have 2 car seats that cost us a whopping $245 each. Why did we buy something so expensive when kids will just outgrow it and need a new one anyway? Well, that is part of the reason why we bought them. in hope that our children wouldn't outgrow them so quickly!

We purchased Diono Radian RXTs for the kids initially for safety reasons. They have high ratings, the manufacturer has never had a recall on a product, and the crash tests are wonderful! Not to mention the steel reinforced frame! I felt so much safer with my kids in these things than in the one I had purchased locally at the store.

All that was great but when I started getting into car seat research I learned a few things.

1. Car seats expire. Typically after 5 years.
2. Car seats are useless after a crash, even a minor one. Check with your manufacturer but even after a fender bender most car seats need to be replaced.
3. Tethering and LATCH is very important. It's EXTREMELY important to make sure your car seat is installed correctly. Check with your manufacturer and local highway patrol to make sure your seat is installed correctly. Local law enforcement should be able to inspect your seat to make sure it's been put in correctly.
4. Bigger or taller kids are hard to fit into the correct seat for their age/development group. Try fitting a tall 10 month old into a common rear facing seat.
5. It is super important to use the correct seat for each child's development stage! Just because an 8 month old weighs 20lbs does NOT mean they need to forward face. they still have the same muscle development as any other 8 month old. The muscles in their neck cannot withstand the force of a crash if they are forward facing as well as they can rear facing. Check out this flyer from the American Academy of Pediatrics for more info on this topic.
6. Rules and regulations change all the time. Now the AAP suggests to keep children rear facing until 2 years old and older children should ride in the back seat also. This is way different from when I was 6 years old! I used to ride in the front all the time! Now, with more research and statistics it's known that that is actually pretty dangerous.

So why the bigger pricier seats?

My kids are tall. It's hard to fit them rear facing in a common seat because they reach the height limit so quickly. We wanted LATCH seats with tether for added support during a collision. Our seats surpass the suggestions of the AAP in that we can keep them rear facing and harnessed longer. The best part is the money saving!

The cheapest infant car seat I could find runs about $90 and only fits infants less than 30lbs. Add another $90 for a forward facing seat or convertible seat (convertible seats are seats that rear face and forward face). Don't forget your booster seat! You're looking at $25 for a backless or $50 for a high back booster (safer). But none of that can be used for heavier or taller kids. Those cheap boosters top out at 100lbs and the height/weight restrictions don't allow for kids in higher percentiles of growth to continue using them as long as their peers.

Lets look just at the money for a moment. We're looking at $205 for the 3 seats a kid needs from infant to about 8-10 years old. Yes, I said 8-10; most kids need a booster at this age to sit comfortably and be semi protected in an accident. We paid $245 for our seats! Less fuss. Less worry. I don't have to constantly check expiration dates, make sure the kids fit, search for a new seat when they outgrow their current one. I'm covered. Our seats also last a whopping 10 years. Here are the specs on our seat:

Rear-facing: 5 - 45 lbs

Forward-facing: 20 - 80 lbs (and up to 57") in a 5-point harness

Booster to 120 lbs

Steel alloy frame and aluminum reinforced sides

Safestop energy-absorbing harness system

Adjustable head support, reinforced for complete side impact safety

Energy-absorbing EPS foam panels on all sides

Rear-facing tether capability

LATCH installation up to 80 lb child

Infant body support cushions

Memory foam padding for superior comfort

5 shoulder and 3 buckle positions for custom fit

Expandable sides and longer seat bottom for leg support and comfort

12 height positions for adjustable head support

2 recline positions in forward-facing mode

Sits low on vehicle seat for easy child boarding

Fits 3 across in a mid-size vehicle and offers more shoulder space

Add up to 4 cup holders (1 included)

Folds flat for travel and storage

Rubber bottom grips for no-slip installation

10 year life

So, yes we spent an extra $40 but we also bought top of the line. If you buy top of the line infant, convertible, and booster seats you're looking to spend about $200 per seat.

I love our seats. They're safe, versatile, and when you break it down surprisingly affordable!

Stay green,

Yasha

Home Birth: Falling Through the Cracks

We recently welcomed another kiddo to the family. 4 weeks ago I did not foresee the problems I would be having today. Like most moms who have "been there done that" I had all my "i's" dotted and "t's" crossed... or so I thought.

In preparation for the home birth I made sure our little guy would still be able to have the same routine tests any newborn in the hospital would be allowed. I made sure our little guy would get the genetic screening "heel prick" test, his hearing screening, and the vitamin K shot. I also, spent hours making sure our pediatrician would take this new bundle of joy once he was born.

Little did I know everything would fall apart.

All those little tests I was told would be available are still available but he hoops I have had to jump through are ridiculous. For his hearing test I have to have a referral. For the vitamin K we had to get a prescription. The heel prick was another referral. To get any referral I had to get this kid into the doctor ASAP.

His doctor's office, who assured me they would take him, refused to take him until I could provide proof of insurance. I had to get our regular doctor there to force the issue and "sneak" him in. Luckily that only had to be done once and after the initial appointment he can now be seen whenever. Hooray for a great midwife who kept his newborn, 1 week, and 2 week appointments while we were fighting to get him in!

After we saw our pediatrician he started writing the orders for everything else and we had a vitamin K at 3 weeks and heel prick at 2. I glad we got the vitamin K even though it wasn't immediate; it took a long time for his heel to stop bleeding after they did the heel prick test!

Currently we're waiting on one last referral for a routine newborn hearing screening and then we can finally breathe!

It's just so hard to imagine why this is so difficult to have done. All these tests are routine at any hospital or birthing center. Why then is it so hard to get them just because a baby was born at home? Why doesn't the state have some sort of provision for home birthed kiddos to get this done at the local Department of Health? It shouldn't be this difficult to get state requested testing done. In many states this is all routine anyway but I guess these special babies who were born in the comforts of home will just keep slipping through the cracks.

Stay green,
Yasha

Another score!

This "dumpster" score brought to you by a closing daycare. Any time a day care or preschool closes, moves, or wants to update equipment check with them to see if they are willing to part with older equipment and toys for cheap or free.

Here are some things I acquired for free:

 A Swing! Hooray! This one works!








A sink and Stove combo! I'll have to build a refrigerator and install some shelves under the sink for storage but it's very promising!







Some things I scored from dumpsters and lucky finds!

 Lucky Find! A Friend found this for me and saved it! It's a child's card table with matching chair.

 That same awesome friend found this couch for the kids. It was actually less stained before my kids got a hold of it!

 My Luckiest dumpster find! A working non smelly couch! It's lazy boy brand and works perfectly. I couldn't figure out why they tossed it except that it was stained and had a few tears.

And a like-new very sturdy bookshelf for the kids!

Stay green,
Yasha

Legwarmer Frenzy

I love love love baby legwarmers! Ever since My little girl started wearing them at 9 months we've always kept a pair handy. They're great! Perfect for protecting little knees from rug burn and scrapes. They keep legs warm in the winter and protected from sunburns in the summer. Adorable and fashionable, what more could one ask for in a child's clothing accessory?

Now that our son is here we have acquired more pairs (this time with sports themes.) Our daughter still wears her legwarmers too, sometimes on her legs, sometimes as makeshift sleeves. She gets creative with them.

Legwarmers are just so cute! Here are some of ours.

Stay green,
Yasha

Getting the most out of the resale shops.

I love to shop at the local resale shop. It's great to find clothes that look new and have a small price tag. Here are some tips to shopping smart second hand.

1. Scrutinize. Look at the item closely. The people at the front may or may not have seen a stain or missing button. Check to make sure the item is in good shape.
2. Be Selective. If you do find a stain, missing button, broken zipper, tear, etc consider how much it will take to fix the item. If it will take too much put it back. I bought a dress yesterday that was missing a button after a quick search I found a spare button sewn to the inside.
3. Haggle. If there is something wrong with the item and you still want to buy it ask the shop keeper to discount it. The dress I bought yesterday was marked at $3.50. After pointing out the missing button they took 20% off. I paid 2.80 for a dress I could easily fix.
4. Put it down. If you don't feel you can fix it or the shop keeper doesn't take enough off the price put it back. Don't take a second look at it. If you buy it and never fix it you've wasted your money.
5. Know your Shop. Only shop at reputable shops. If you go into a shop that has racks and racks of crap all marked the same price, chances are you aren't going to find anything worth buying. You can still search but it may be a waste of your time to return.
6. Look Up. Take a look at the walls. Many shops feature their best items on the walls or above the racks. If the items on the walls are dirty, stained, or torn chances are you won't find anything good on the racks and you should leave.
7. Is it Clean? Look at the floors and shelves. If the floors and shelves are dirty just leave. A good bargain is not worth bringing mites, nits, or fleas into your house. My mother once scored a great bargain on some clothes at a dirty little used clothes shop. The clothes were great but she had to spend over $40 to get the fleas out of the house. Not a great bargain anymore.
8. Remember your last trips. Although you may not find anything you like on your first or second visit you may score on the third. However, if you find that you keep walking away from the same shop with no clothes again and again, it may be safe to assume you never will. Find a new shop and begin a new search.
9. When Reselling go to the shop that will offer you the most for your clothes first! If the shop you like to frequent offers more money great! However, you may get more money from a different shop.
10. Distinguish between store credit and money. You should only think about store credit with stores you frequent. If you don't return a store at least once a month you may want to think about cash. Also check on how the store keeps track of credit and how long it is valid. If the store gives you a sheet to keep track of your own credit keep the sheet in the car. Also, if the store credit is not valid after 3 months go with the cash or pick a different store.

Stay green,
Yasha

March of Dimes Honors Infants During Prematurity Awareness Month

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Nov. 1 2010 – More than half a million babies are born too soon each year and thousands don’t live to celebrate their first birthday as a result.



November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and people can learn more about the seriousness of premature birth, donate, or create a virtual band to celebrate, honor or remember a baby in their life at the March of Dimes web site – marchofdimes.com/fight.

On November 17, the March of Dimes will mark the 8th annual Prematurity Awareness Day by issuing its 2010 Premature Birth Report Card, which grades the nation and the states on their preterm birth rates.


As part of Prematurity Awareness Month®, March of Dimes staff and volunteers nationwide will host vigils, and light buildings in purple to draw attention to the epidemic of preterm birth. The March of Dimes also has been working with organizations in Africa, Australia and Europe that are raising awareness about the consequences of preterm births.

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http://www.marchofdimes.com/news/nov1_2010.html