REVIEW: Thermometer -- It's Getting Hot in Here

There's nothing worse then a sick baby! Well actually probably a colic-y baby, but regardless a sick baby is inevitable.

Every baby will come down with an illness at some point in it's life. Fevers are commonplace as well, so it's important to know what temperature you're little one has. Everyone knows a rectal thermometer is the MOST accurate at taking an infant's temperature. I know that there was no way in hell I was sticking something up my child's butt unless I HAD TO! My reasoning is simple, a decent thermometer will give me a fairly accurate reading. If she has a fever, and we treat it, and it doesn't go down, no rectal thermometer is going to help us! We will know she has a fever period and can work with the pediatrician from there.

So once I made the decision to not go with a rectal I had several more options. They make thermometers that are pacifiers and go in the mouth, ones that go in the ear, ones that go on the temple, and ones that can be used in the mouth or under the arm. I went with an ear one. It gives me a readout VERY quickly and is FAIRLY easy to insert correctly. It does require practice and I usually do 3-4 readings to get an average.

For the heck of it I've tried the pacifier one. LLB won't hold it in her mouth long enough to get a reading, shoot even I won't hold it in that long. And the one time I had to do a rectal wasn't so bad, but I would still rather get a quick and non-messy readout this way.

Product Information
Thermoscan IRT4520
Made by Braun
All readings are display in easy-to-read LCD format
Pre-warmed tip improves measuring accuracy
Guidance system for accurate read
Measures in seconds
Disposable filter
Priced at approximately $40
Find yours on Google

Buying Tip: Make sure you buy one that takes a QUICK AND ACCURATE reading. Nothing's worse then a squirmy, sick child and making them sit still is painful. A good thermometer should be able to take a reading in about a second!

You Give Me Fever,
Bronwyn

*this is a reposting of a review originally posted 11/11/06

RAMBLING: The Unveiling of the Hair

I appreciate your patience. My computer at work wouldn't read my camera so I had to wait until I got home! But the moment has arrived, here is my new hairdo. I'm still figuring out the styling of it and the pictures don't do it justice. They also give it a slight orange/red hue that isn't REALLY there! There's two face shots and one shot looking down on it from the roots so you can sort of see the highlights.




She did an all over color process to turn it brown, the underside is a GORGEOUS deep brown. And then did three different quadrants of color on top to give it some depth and dimension!

I LOVE IT! What about you, what do you think?

Hair-apy Worked for Me,
Bronwyn

RAMBLING: Playing Dress Up

One reason why I'm glad I work is the opportunity to dress up. I LOVE dressing up, dresses, skirts, tights, blouses, heels. I LOVE everything about it! I'm still warming up to dresses, for a very long time I have hid my middle region and so shirts and skirts were my thing, a dress was too much of one thing and it didn't usually hide middles well.

The new crop of fall dresses have me salivating though, so here are some of my faves.


Isaac Mizrahi for Target® 3/4-Sleeve Shirtdress - Spanish Brown Print
The shirtdress is HUGE for fall! A busy print like this helps slim a fuller figure and the belted middle can be a godsend if you position it correctly.

The new GO International Designer for Target is Alice Temperley and she has some super-cute British inspired frocks!

Alice Temperley Long-Sleeve Belted Sweater Dress - Ebony/ Antique White
A sleek black dress with stark white detailing is always a winner and the white ribbon belt on this one seals the deal.


BCBGMAXAZRIA 'Cherry Blossom' Dress
The print on this dress is simply irresistible! And the length is JUST right!


Muse Border Print Silk Shift Dress
I just adore this dress. Shift dresses are such a flattering shape on me and anyone, really!

Do you have a favorite fall dress? Do share!

By the way, when I hopped over to Nordstrom to see their dress selection, their front page showcased these and I swear my heart skipped a beat.

Façade 'Robin' Tall Animal Print Boot
Holy hotness, Batman! I found a pair of flats that I actually like better in this way-cool giraffe print. But I'm drooling over here, what about you? My coworker Lyssa snubbed the giraffe, I think she's crazy! SHARE what you think!

Wishing It Was Pay Day,
Bronwyn

RAMBLING: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow -- UPDATE

I did it! I got a haircut and some color done. I am overall VERY pleased with it. I went with a layered cut with long bangs (great minds think alike Alanna). I took some time perusing pictures and came up with an OLD shot of Jennifer Aniston with a layered shoulder-length 'do that I liked.


Then I messed around with InStyle.com's new hair makeover tool. It wasn't an exact science but I found a GORGEOUS layered style on Rachel McAdams. Rachel's hair was blond but I messed around with a warm brown with high and low lights. Fall is about brown for me, I love the deep reds and browns of fall hair and I was determined to get something stylish done to my hair.


I obviously didn't want a length this long, but I LOVED how the bangs hit my glasses in my doctored up photo. I even monkeyed around in photoshopped the style shorter. I don't have it saved locally, so you'll have to let your imagination do the magic for you.

So I took all 5 million of my printouts and headed to my stylist. She was excited to hear that I wanted to go brown and immediately got to work. 2.5 hours later I left the salon a new woman! She did a FAB job. I can't wait until I can get my hands on it tomorrow and style it in a chunky, texturized way.

What did I get done? What does it look like? Sorry but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for that! I can't share my hair with the world until I've made it beautiful :-P!

Sidenote: The hubby loves it and the LLB didn't cry when she saw me, so it must not be too drastic or bad!

The Sun (and My Hair)'ll Come Out Tomorrow,
Bronwyn

RAMBLING: Toddlerwide Wrestling Federation

I posted this on my blog but I'm x-posting it here in hopes someone has some advice.

The LLB has a mean streak. It comes out every evening approximately 1 hour before bed. We have fun rough-housing and goofing around on the floor until she turns into a Gremlin. She smacks, bites, scratches, pulls hair ... I'm lucky I don't have scars, though I always have marks to prove it.

I like playing with her and I don't mind if it gets a little rough, BUT I can't take the outright abuse and I don't like that once she starts she won't stop. Telling her no doesn't seem to do it and punishing her breaks her down to tears and then she goes right back to the behavior.

Has anyone experienced this before? Does anyone have any tips? I've tried time outs, I've tried repeating some of the behaviors back to her without any force (ie LIGHTLY pinching her cheek when she's just pinched mine), I just don't have any more ideas left.

Victim of Parental Abuse,
Bronwyn

REVIEW: Nursing Covers -- Perfectly Discreet

I was a PROUD nursing mom. I knew how good it was for my daughter and all the benefits it gave to both of us. I was, however, a bit prude-y and didn't want to feel like I was exposing myself in public. So I sought out a nursing cover up. Let me state, that I have no problem with women who nurse in public and don't cover up, that's their perogative, this is all about a personal choice. And I know for a fact I would have had some tough moments feeding my child if I hadn't had this coverup.

When a mommy friend shared this find I was ecstatic. A "nursing cover" is PERFECT. The material is lightweight, so my baby who HATED a blanket on her head, hardly knew it was there. And, most have a plastic at the top that helps create the perfect arch so I could keep an eye on my daughter and still keep covered up. And the come in cool patters, what could I possibly have to complain about?

I, personally bought a Bebe Au Lait cover in the Mayfair print.

There are a ton of other sites out there though. Some other sites that look cool are, Modest Mums, Modest Mommy Cover and Milk Chic.

Buying Tip: There are MANY of these items on eBay and the 'net. So do some searching if you think you can find a better deal or print. They take a TINY bit of practice, by about the 3rd use you will feel pretty confident in it's abilities. I practiced a lot at home before ever leaving the house with it.

Because Breast Is Best,
Bronwyn

*this is a reposting of a review originally posted 02/28/07

RAMBLING: Problems With Plastic

If you haven't seen the recent debate about BPA and babies' bottles you've missed out. When I read the news I immediately felt terrible about bottles that LLB had used that could have possibly "poisoned" her. As a mom I don't usually need more guilt but sheesh this one sure made me feel terrible. So I did some research and now I want to share my accrued info with you.

There are only a handful of baby/infant bottles on the market that don't contain Bisphenol A (BPA), to my knowledge. The most popular and most famous are the Born Free bottles, as their whole mission has been BPA free feeding from the get-go. Other brands such as MAM and Evenflo do make bottles that don't contain the toxin as well. The Z Report Blog did an EXCELLENT piece on which bottles are BPA free and which aren't, consult their list to check on your bottles. The real trick seems to come in having bottles that aren't completely clear. Sheesh who would have thought a window into a drink could cause so much damage.

What does BPA do? Bisphenol A has been linked by scientists to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity!

How does the BPA get into my child's system? The plastic material in containers breaks down through use and releases bisphenol A into liquids and food. This happens from just regular use, heating the bottles causes it to happen.

What about sippy cups? Since most of them aren't clear you will find that sippy cups are made from a safer plastic. The Z Report Blog did a report on sippy cups as well.

I think the worst part about this BPA mess is that it isn't always easy to do the right thing. Changing the bottles is a GREAT first step. If we decided to have another babe (and that's a topic best reserved for another post) I will NOT use any of the "bad bottles." All my Avents will go in the trash! That's the easy part. But not everything puts its plastic number on the bottom. The Avent sippy cups sure don't say what number they are.

A lot of our plastic containers that we store food in or receive food in are bad. It's not always a change that easy to make. The change is simple in theory, eliminate plastics from your everyday. Easier said then done, here are some tips:

• Avoid bottles and other food containers made of clear, hard polycarbonate plastic (made from bisphenol A), which may be labeled #7 or PC on the underside. Also avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC), labeled #3, which can contain phthalates.

• Choose plastic food containers, bottles and cups made of #1, #2 and #4 (polyethylene) and softer, opaque #5 (polypropylene) plastics, glass or stainless steel.

• Avoid canned foods, including baby formula, which may contain bisphenol A in their lining.

• Avoid foods wrapped in plastic.

• Do not microwave children's food in plastic or polystyrene.

• Do not put plastics in the dishwasher, and dispose of any plastic containers or dishware that look scratched or hazy.

Read the rest of the tips and some more info on BPA over at the Celebrity Baby Blog where I did an entry on Hollywood's response to this.

Going Green in Baby Steps,
Bronwyn