Monday, December 15, 2008

Baby R'Minder

When I started this review site it was mainly to keep track of my Mom Central reviews, but I also wanted to be able to review products, movies, books and anything else on my own as well. Occasionally a product comes along that really makes sense and it's even more awesome when that product is the creation of a family member. I'm proud to let y'all know about this product, the Baby R'minder.




We are a busy society. We are probably too busy for our own goods. I know I personally meet myself coming and going on a regular basis. My kids are all vocal, verbal and frankly, they never hush while we're in the car because they are in grade school and middle school and are therefore obnoxiously all up in my business, but what about a baby? Babies are most usually lulled to sleep by the rocking motion of the car. Infants in rear-facing car seats become almost invisible once they drift off to sleep - they are silent and not in your direct line of view. So, while we don't think it will ever happen to us, it's easy to see how sometimes babies are forgotten in cars.

We've all heard the tragic stories of busy moms and dads who have forgotten to drop their child off at the sitter or have forgotten them in the car while they go into a store. Statistics show that because of front seat airbags, the incidence of child death due to hyperthermia (body temperature getting too high) has risen dramatically. Children and infants aren't placed in the front seat anymore and because of that they are at a greater risk of being accidentally left in the car.

I babysit my cousin's baby and the first day she brought Nonner in with the Baby R'minder on his carseat I wasn't sure what to think, but what she said makes sense - if you have a visual, tactile, solid reminder of your baby the chances of a tragedy like leaving them in the car decreases. The Baby R'minder hooks at one end to the child's carseat and at the other end to your keys, tethering you to your child and giving you a visual reminder of them even if you can't see their adorable little face. When your keys come out of the ignition the strap connected to the carseat reminds you that your precious cargo is in the backseat.



The Baby R'minder comes in your choice of colors and the length is adjustable. We've used it in a Chevy HHR, a Dodge Ram pickup, a Chevy Impala and a Dodge Caravan - we've run the gambit as far as vehicle sizes and have never had any problems with running out of length.






The Baby R'minder sells for $14.95 with free shipping. I've done some looking around online and I haven't found another similar product as versatile and affordable as this one. And I'm really not just saying that because my Aunt Janet came up with this product - I found a carseat alarm/reminder system online for $275, but if you have an infant you probably don't have $275 just lying around the house. (And if you do, please let me know your secret.)

If you are interested in purchasing a Baby R'minder or would just like more information email me and we'll do our best to answer your questions and take care of your order. theredneckdiva[at] gmail [dot] com) Eventually we'll get a shop set up on Etsy.com, so be on the lookout for that because, of course, I'll announce it on here!




None of the parents that have accidentally left a child in a car are bad parents and like my aunt, the inventor of Baby R'minder said, "People who aren't busy probably don't need one of these." You know as well as I do, though, that we're all busy. And we all could use a gentle r'minder.

Plum Crazy

The other day as my aunt and cousin were getting ready to leave my house my aunt asked if I had ever read a Janet Evanovich book. As she held Foul Play out to me I said, "Oh that reminds me - the other day I got an email from Janet Evanovich's 'blog monkey' declaring me to be one of their favorite blogs." It was at that point my Aunt Janet's jaw hit the ground and my Cousin Courtney jumped from her car. Aunt Janet nearly screamed, "YOU GOT AN EMAIL FROM JANET EVANOVICH???" I clarified: "No. Her blog monkey."

I hear blog monkeys can be very flattering - this one had me at "one of our favorites."

After much fast talking from them both I took the book so I could partake of the reading wonderful-ness they were both gushing about rather excitedly in my front yard. I'm halfway through Twilight right now, but with all the snow days we're forecasted to get this week I figure I'll start Foul Play tonight. And no, up to this point in my life, I have never read a Janet Evanovich book, even though my friend Trishia has been trying to get me to for years. I know. I should probably be flogged or something.

The newest book in the Stephanie Plum series coming out January 6th is Plum Spooky. While you wait for January 6th, have a gander at this Preview of a New and Exciting Book/Holiday Greeting YouTube from Ms. Evanovich herself. (Or maybe her blog monkey. Or blog rhinocerous since the blog monkey takes care of emailing. Just a thought.)

Friday, December 5, 2008

And the winners are.....

I apologize for not posting the winners last night. I'll be real honest with ya when I say that I was literally asleep here on the couch, laptop on my lap, chin on my chest, by 8:30. Yeah, I'm that much of a party animal.

So without further ado, the winners - picked by Random Number Generator - of the Norton PC Tune-ups are:

1. Lori
2. "Aunt Janet"
3. Wanda

Congrats ladies! Stop back by the comments section to see what they have to say about their tune-ups!

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The winners for the Clorox2 coupons - also picked by Randon Number Generator - are:

1. Tiff
2. Nancy
3. Courtney

I don't have blog links or emails for these winners of soon-to-be happy laundry, so Tiff, Nancy and Courtney, email me your address and I'll send them your way!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Dare to be Colorful!


I have three kids, therefore I have laundry. Lots and lots of laundry. And because most of that laundry is generated by children I have dirty laundry. All three of my kids were spitters when they were babies, but when Abby was a baby my mom found me one day crying over her pretty pink bibs and how stained they were. She promptly went to Walmart and brought me my first box of Clorox2 and folks, my laundry hasn't been the same since. There are a lot of things I buy store brand, but when it comes to my laundry it's Clorox all the way. There is simply no substitute to make your laundry the happiest it can be.

I put a cap of Clorox2 in all of my light-colored loads, the dark ones if they're really dirty, and in my towels where I can't use regular bleach. I've literally been a user of Clorox2 for 12 years, so when MomCentral announced a blog tour and free coupons for it I nearly broke my toe on my washing machine trying to get in on it. Clorox2 has a new formula that is not only a non-chlorine bleach but also a color booster. Basically that means YAY! Happy laundry for everyone!
Tough stains? Ones that slipped by you in the wash and you don't dare dry them and set in the stain? No problem - soak the stain in Clorox2, then re-wash and voila! Again with the happy laundry! This is a product that I could go on and on even if MomCentral hadn't given me a coupon for a free bottle AND coupons for four of my readers. Yep, COUPONS! The economy's takin' a dive, but people, we're all gonna have awesomely happy laundry - four of you are gonna have that happy laundry for FREE!

Leave a comment telling me the worst stain you've ever had to get out of your laundry and you're automaticaly entered to win a coupon of your very own. Giveaway is open until this Friday. Tell your friends!


Big thanks to MomCentral!