Enter The Bubblebum booster seat!

This neat, colorful, and fun booster seat is totally portable and perfect for those times when a bigger traditional booster isn’t available or an option. These times may include going on vacation, riding in a taxi, rental car, or bus, or just keeping one in your back seat or trunk for emergencies or for a spare. We love keeping ours in my husband’s car, which has a much smaller backseat. He keeps one traditional car seat installed at all times, and then can bring out the Bubble Bum when he needs it if two of my children ride in his car. Some people use three Bubblebum’s in a row in a very small backseat because of its narrow profile.

The Bubblebum is small and light, so you can easily pack it on an airplane or in a school bag. It is easily inflated and is held securely in place with the car seat belt restraints. My kids enjoy sitting on it as it is cushioned and soft. And the best part is that The Bubblebum meets ALL US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and also has been tested and approved to European Standards as well! Please note The Bubblebum is suitable for children ages 4-11 years who weigh 40-80lbs and should be used only with a 3 point car seat belt. Learn more here about safety and see The Bubblebum in action! (This is a great video that has some helpful info about why using a booster is important.)

At an affordable $39.99, it’s so worthwhile to keep one (or two!) in your car for emergencies, vacations, and more.

The day has finally come where my son no longer fits in his infant seat. I put it off as long as possible, but since we are coming dangerously close to the maximum weight limit, I had to bite the bullet and find the right convertible car seat for my son. Normally, I go back and forth for days trying to figure out exactly what I want, but this time the decision was easy. There really was no other car seat brand for me to consider. I always knew that I wanted a Britax , and that was exactly what I was going to get.

If the Britax brand decision was so easy, the decision as to WHICH Britax Car Seat to choose was extremely hard. My son will be riding in this seat for years to come, and therefore I felt a lot of pressure to make the right decision for us. With all of the Britax car seats having so many great safety features I knew I couldn’t go wrong, but I still was looking for the perfect fit. In the end I chose the Britax Boulevard 70 CS (MSRP $339.99).

The Britax Boulevard 70 CS is a member of the Next Generation of Britax convertible car seats. The major difference between the next generation and the classic is that the new ones now can hold a child up to 70 lbs vs. the previous 65 lbs. What makes the Boulevard different than some of the other models is the True Side Impact Protection which offers a head restraint creating an extra layer of energy-absorbing EPP foam, keeping the head, neck and spine “in true” or aligned, and deep side walls lined with EPP foam to distribute crash forces, shield from vehicle intrusion, and contain the head, neck and body. That is what drew me to the Boulevard. I felt that I needed to protect my son as much as possible, and when so many crashes involve side impact I knew I had to choose the extra protection. My son was in his new seat for just a few minutes and right away enjoyed his new “winged” headrest to nap. A little added bonus of the side impact protection!

Britax offers a car seat for your child at any age (well at least any age that requires you to sit in a car seat!)

• Infant Seats:  can be used rear facing only from 4 to 30 pounds, and are compatible with the BRITAX CHAPERONE and B-READY strollers and other major brands with the BRITAX adapter strap.

• Next Generation Convertible seats:  can be used rear facing from 5 to 40 pounds and forward facing from 1 year and 20 pounds, up to 70 pounds, depending on the seat. High-capacity convertibles allow your child to stay in a five-point harness through the toddler years.

• Classic Convertibles: can be used rear facing from 5 to 35 pounds and forward facing from 1 year and 20 pounds, up to 50 or 65 pounds, depending on the seat.
• Combination Harness 2  Booster:  can accommodate children forward facing only in harness mode from at least 2 years and 25 pounds, up to 85 pounds. The seats can then convert to a belt-positioning booster and accommodate a child to 120 pounds.

I am very happy to be a part of the Britax family of car seats. We all spend so much time in our cars, and it is so important that we protect our child any way we can. Especially when we can’t always control what other drivers do. At least with my Britax Boulevard I can go about my day knowing my son is protected in a car seat I trust.

I was provided with a Britax Boulevard for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Britax has consistently made a name for themselves as a manufacturer that goes above and beyond in regards to safety features. From infant seats to booster seats, their car seats have won awards and gathered the praise of numerous publications and parents alike.

The Britax Parkway SG is a belt-positioning booster for those final years your child spends in a car seat. These forward-facing boosters are suited for kids weighing in between 40-120 lbs and come equipped with Britax’s True Side Impact Protection, Energy-Absorbing Foam Liner and SecureGuard which helps to prevent your child from sliding out under the lap belt during impact. You can also choose the Parkway SGL which includes ISOFLEX Flexible Lower LATCH Connection System to secure the booster to the car with LATCH connectors – useful for keeping the booster from flying around your car when not in use by a child.

Kids will like the mostly mature color options (pink, grey, blue and cow print), armrests and retractable cup holders while you’ll appreciate the washable fabric (they might be older, but they’re still messy), space-saving narrow footprint and color-coded seat belt guides to make it easy to use correctly.

The Britax Parkway SG also has a quick-adjust headrest and a detachable back which easily converts it into a backless booster without losing the cupholders or armrests or diminishing the SecureGuard feature.

So far, my favorite features are the narrow footprint (with three across the backseat, any extra room is welcome), the True Impact Side Protection wings (which also give some added support for backseat snoozers) and the detachable back option. My 5-year-old , however, insists the seat’s high honors should be awarded due to its dual cup holders (his previous seat had none). And hey, if that makes him happier to sit in a booster, then let’s load ‘em up with a water bottle and snack cup and hit the road.

Currently 20% off at Amazon and Diapers.com.

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Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and mom of three boys. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless.  Britax provided a sample of this booster seat for review.

Diapers.com has made it easy on a new Mom by releasing a list of their top 10 Car Seats and top 10 Strollers from 2010 based on sales on their website.

The neat thing too is that the Car Seat list is broken down into categories.  They’ve got infant car seats, convertible car seats, toddler seats and boosters so you can see based on the age of your child.  The Britax Marathon was the #1 for convertible car seats, which I noticed is currently 20% off on the site if you’re in the market. (All Britax are 20% off, use coupon code 20BRITAX)

Strollers are broken down into the following categories:  lightweight, standard-size, jogging strollers, double & triple strollers and travel systems.   I was thrilled to see that my favorite stroller with my last son, the Baby Jogger City Mini made #1 for Lightweight strollers.

New Moms, be sure to check out the lists and find what’s right for you.  There are some wonderful suggestions on all of the lists and it can be tough to navigate the decision with all of the information out there – here you see what ranks top repeatedly over the course of a year and I think it’s invaluable information.

You can also have a Baby Registry on Diapers.com to list some of these great car seats and strollers!

This post is sponsored by BabyCenter in conjunction with the BabyCenter Blog Network.

Introducing a new line of baby products from Safety1st, the S1.  Pictured above, don’t you just love the great colors and designs?

The S1 Series from Safety 1^st is the first collection designed to meet exceptional standards of safety and style, providing parents with high quality products for travel, meal time, and play. With S1, parents can trust they’ll find the beautiful and feature-rich products they’re looking for from the company they’ve come to trust with their family’s safety.

Here are the products in the S1 line:

• The S1 Aerolite™ LX Premier Travel System combines fashion-forward styling, innovative safety technology, and all of the convenience features parents come to expect when traveling with baby. The travel system comes with the S1 onBoard™ 35 Air infant car seat, featuring Air Protect^® Side Impact Technology the best protection available for children in side impact crashes. The AeroLite LX Premier Stroller features a one-hand fold and stand that’s ultra-compact, as well as a multi-position canopy and recline for comfort. (Approximate retail price: $279.99)

• The S1 Satellite Premier™ Play Yard comes complete with all of the comforts of a nursery that can be used anywhere, including a washable hamper, the Twinkling Starry Night mobile to calm or entertain baby, a comfortable bassinet for naptime, and an elevated changing table. The innovative, visible SecureTech™ lock lets parents know the play yard is in the properly locked position. (Approximate retail price: $149.99)

• The S1 Comfy Seat Premier™ High Chair combines modern fabrics with trusted safety features including a SlideGuard^® safety restraint and a five point safety harness. The high chair has multiple height adjustments and an easy reclining feature making it convenient for parents to ensure baby is safe and comfortable. (Approximate retail price: $119.99)

• S1 from Safety 1^st is available exclusively at Babies “R” Us. To enter win the entire S1 series visit www.Facebook.com/Safety1st.com. 

Check out this great video of the S1 line that features my good friend Audrey from MomGenerations!

Giveaway: Also totally awesome, Safety1st is giving away the entire S1 travel line on their Facebook page.  Like them on Facebook and then follow details on how you can enter to win!

Disclosure:  Safety1st is a sponsor of the GiftGuideGirls.com, a website I am a partner in.

More than diapers at Diapers.com?  I was curious to see how the site had grown since my last child potty trained and was pleasantly surprised at how much their offering had expanded since the last time I ordered.

I placed a big order for several products, none of which was diapers!  I got toys for my kids for Christmas, clothes and skin care products for my kids.  In searching for various products, I was able to find everything I was looking for.  Check out the array of Legos they offer!  (My kids are so into Legos right now, I was impressed with their selection.)

I also ordered this adorable Tea Collection Lion Double Decker Tee.  Then I was out of hand soap so I hopped over to body care and ordered several bottles of Burts Beeds Hand Soap.  Bottom line being that their offering has moved beyond diapers and their prices are competitive.  (Free shipping over $49!)

Just to give you an example the vast assortment of products you can buy for your family’s needs, check out this random assortment of products you can buy on Diapers.com:

Bravado Designs Nursing Tank - $49

Fisher Price IxL Learning System - $89.99

Basq Cucumber Tea Eye Gel - $24

3-pack of EPT Pregnancy Stick Tests - $13.99

Lego City Seaplane - $9.49

Shipping is free when your order is over $49 and no joke, my order came in a day and a half. They promise 1-2 day shipping and I placed my order late one night. It came not the next day but early the following morning; roughly 36 hours.

Giveaway: One lucky reader from Mommies with Style will win a $200 gift certificate to Diapers.com!  Comment below to enter.

This giveaway ends after Sunday, December 12th – one winner will be selected at random after that time.

Disclosure:  I was given compensated and given a credit to spend at Diapers.com to facilitate this post.

The Great Trade-Inť event places an emphasis on specific baby products, that due to safety concerns, may not be the best candidates to be handed down or resold. Beyond recalls, certain older and used baby items can be potentially unsafe for a variety of reasons, including damage or lack of compliance with recent advances in product safety standards.

You don’t need to have purchased the item you want to trade-in from TRU or BRU and no receipt is required. You can bring in multiple items and you will be given one 25% off discount for each item traded in. The discount must be used that day on another item from the participating categories and manufacturers. Trade-In items and purchased items can be from different categories.

This new line incorporates features that lower the child’s center of gravity, strengthen the child seat and manage crash energy. Together, they reduce head excursion (which means how far the head travels in a crash) and offer the most advanced protection to children.

Specifically, the new features include:

• A re-engineered lower center of gravity that allows the child to sit lower and creates stability in the event of a crash.
• Integrated steel bars that strengthen the connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing of the child seat during a crash.  
• Patent-pending Britax SafeCell Technology with SafeCells^® that are designed to compress in a crash. This significantly lowers the center of gravity and counteracts the forward rotation of the child seat, which normally propels the child toward the front seat.
• Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether^® with a two-point attachment and staged-release tether webbing to anchor the top of the car seat. This minimizes forward-rotation and reduces crash forces reaching the child.

I had a chance to check out the line twice and was very impressed. Britax designed its new line to improve upon its Side Impact Protection (SIP) and True Side Impact Protection ^® (TSIP). The car seats feature deeper side walls lined with energy-absorbing EPP foam that distribute crash forces, shield from vehicle intrusion, and contain the head, neck and body. Britax TSIP car seats also offer a head restraint that creates an extra layer of energy-absorbing EPP foam, keeping the head, neck and spine aligned. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one in four of all motor vehicle crashes that involve children occur from the side, and these result in a significantly higher injury rate than frontal or rear impacts.

Britax’s new line also offers higher weight capacities to keep children rear facing longer and to allow for extended use of a five-point harness. The convertible car seats can accommodate children from between 5 and 40 pounds rear facing and up to 70 pounds forward facing, and the mid-capacity convertible allows children to sit forward facing up to 55 pounds. The new seats offer a harness position that helps position the harness at or below baby’s shoulder, and an infant insert is available separately to properly position the infant and protect the airway.

The new convertibles also include features that make them easier to install and use properly and consistently.

Non-handed premium LATCH connectors allow the seats to easily transition from rear to forward facing, while an easy access cover and access to belt paths from the front of the seat reduce the time needed for installation. Built-in lock-offs ensure a tight lap and shoulder seat belt installation with minimal effort.

Ease-of-use features include: a quick-adjust head restraint, a no-rethread harness (available on all convertibles except for the line’s mid-capacity convertible), buckle adjustments and multiple recline adjustments. No no-rethread harness makes it super easy to adjust the harness height – no more taking the cover off, undoing that buckle and re-threading it.

The revamped line includes the Roundabout 55 (SRP: $199.99), Marathon 70 (SRP: $279.99), Boulevard 70 (SRP: $309.99), Boulevard 70 CS (SRP: $329.99) and Advocate 70 CS (SRP: $369.99). They will be available in August.

Disclosure: I am a member of Britax’s Blogger Advisory Board, which consists of select bloggers who routinely test and review juvenile products.  Britax gives these board members previews of its new products or product ideas, in return for the bloggers candid assessments.  The bloggers are not paid for their service, but are reimbursed for any travel expenses.

Safety 1st® Nature Next™ Bio-Plastic Booster Seat is made from 50% bio-plastic, which is developed from renewable plant resources.

I like it because the the booster seat includes adjustable chair straps and non-slip rubber feet to help keep the seat steady. While it’s not adjustable, it is perfect for children who need a smaller boost to reach the table.

You’ll have to thread the chair straps in the back and bottom of the chair, but it was pretty simple. It also has a 3-point harness, which my 2 1/2 year old can use (when she sits in his seat). Add in a low price and this feeding booster seat is a bargain!   Get it on Amazon for $10.99 with free shipping.

Thank you to Safety 1st for providing a sample for review.

• 5-point harness weight limit increased from 80 to 85 lbs
• harness height increased from 18″ to 20″
• 2 additional harness height position for a total of 10
• fixed cup holders and armrests
• new fabrics
• redesigned belt paths to make installation easier

While some parents are too eager to do away with the 5-point harness and move their kids into belt-positioning booster seats, the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission recommends:

“Most toddlers and preschoolers (up to age 4) are not big enough or old enough for a belt-positioning booster seat. They need a full harness for upper body protection and to hold them in their seats. A full harness should be used as long as possible.” (http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/newtips/pages/Tip2.htm)

The Frontier 85 allows the longest use of the 5-point harness on the market and at 120 lbs, also offers one of the highest booster weight limits. Once your child hits the 2 yrs/25 lbs lower limit, the Frontier 85 could be the only car seat you ever buy again – welcomed news to parents who have bought 3 and 4 car seats to find the right fit, style and size for their growing kids.

Some of my favorite features on this seat include the no-re-threading harness, the easy installation (Britax has an incredibly clear and thorough manual), the dual cup holders, the subdued color schemes (which means older kids will be less likely to balk at sitting in one) and the plethora of safety features.

Safety Features

* True Side Impact Protection – Britax’s patented design that distributes the force of the crash, and protects the head, neck and body by keeping the body aligned to reduce injury

* EPS Foam Liner – absorbs and distributes the impact from a crash

* energy-absorbing base – helps to absorb the crash force

* Versa-Tether – anchors the back of the car seat at two different points, minimizing the forward movement of the seat in a collision

* HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard System) – prevents forward head movement in a crash

* simplified and secure installation with either the LATCH connectors or the color-coded vehicle belt guides

Comfort Features

* plush yet durable material and padding provide comfort and keep passenger cool

* easily adjust between 10 harness height positions with the no-re-threading harness

* 3 seat buckle positions to ensure a snug fit

* 2 built-in cup holders easily fit sippy cups, snack containers and 20-oz. water bottles

* built-in, fixed armrests

* soft shoulder and crotch pads

At 19.5″ wide, the seat isn’t especially narrow, but if you’re planning on using it up to 120 lbs, you need room for a growing child. Available in four colors – tan, pink, red and grey all with black accents – the Frontier 85 retails for about $250. But special for MWS readers….

WIN A BRITAX FRONTIER 85! Britax is generously giving away one of their new Frontier 85 seats in the color of your choice to one lucky MWS reader! How to enter: leave a comment here telling us where you’ll be traveling with your new Britax Frontier 85 this summer. Get an extra entry by friending MWS and Britax on Facebook (leave us another comment here telling us you did and we’ll follow up and double check).

U.S. or Canadian residents only. Only two possible entries per person. Entries must be received by Friday, May 25th at 11:59pm PST. One winner will be chosen at random to receive a Frontier 85 car seat in the color of their choice.