Wool Dryer Balls

This was my first chance to try Dryer Balls. I cloth diaper, so I can't use any fabric softener or dryer sheets, and I was hoping that these would work in place of the synthetic choices.

In fact, they do wonderfully. Since we started using them (throwing 1-3 balls into a medium sized load), the diapers are coming out much softer and really nice for my son's bottom. They seem to be speeding up the drying process as well. They warned us, and I found that it was true, that if you over dry using these balls, they do cause some static cling. As long as you reduce your drying time, there's no issue.

These balls are also the perfect size for my 1yo son to play with. He thinks they are the best toy and will play "catch" or "soccer" with them (throwing/hitting it across the room and then chasing it down and repeating). Our dog occasionally grabs one to play with as well. I never expected these to be quite so versatile.

As I was wiring this review, he started playing with these balls again. 

I will be picking up more of these soon, so that I have enough for my baby to play with and be able to use them in both of my dryers!

I received the product mentioned above for free or greatly discounted in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I like and use personally.

Wool Dryer Balls - 4 Pack

Forever Flex Exercise Ball

When I first got this ball, my plan was to use it as an office chair. I measured and measured and read different recommendations from several different websites. I finally decided that 65 cm was likely the right choice. Now that I've gotten it, I've decided that was too small. So I'm using it for exercise instead. I'm 5' 10.5" with very long legs and I'm not sure if the 75 cm would even be large enough to comfortably use as a chair. I'm going to try some different balls and see what works best. I'll update once I figure it out.

Otherwise, I have nothing bad to say about this exercise ball. It is made of a nice thick rubber. It inflated easily. They instruct to inflate to 80%, wait 24 hrs, then inflate the rest of the way. I followed those instructions and had no problems. The hand inflator they include works fine but is quite tedious. My family was teasing me that I was doing a ton of work and making zero progress, but air was being added slowly. If you have an electric air pump, that would make short work of it.

The ball itself is very sturdy. I feel very comfortable putting 250+ lbs on it. My son also loves to take it and roll it around the living room. It is not weighted, so it rolls like he expects it to.



I also use an exercise ball when I'm in labor, so I look forward to having this one around (along with a couple of other sizes) next time I'm pregnant.

I'm very happy with this ball, and it's a reasonable price.

I received the product mentioned above for free or greatly discounted in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I like and use personally.

Forever Flex Exercise Ball

Muslin Swaddle Blankets

Even though my son is almost a year old now, I am still a big fan of receiving/swaddling blankets. They are so versatile and soft and nice, so I was super excited to get the chance to review these Muslin Swaddle Blankets.

First of all, I think they are super cute. This set of three has three patterns: chevron, arrows, and crosses. I love them all, but the arrows and chevron are my favorites I think. The crosses are pretty small, and you can't see them well unless you're close up.

They are super soft. I always wash any cloth items before I start using them, but these were soft even before I washed them. After they were washed, they got incredibly soft!

They are really really light. This makes them perfect for everyday use. My son gets crazy hot and sweaty whenever he sleeps, so unless it is freezing, I have to use thin sheets just to protect him from drafts.

They are also quite large (48x48 inch), so they cover him and will for many years to come!

I never swaddled, but these would be excellent for that use as well. Your child wouldn't overheat and they are large enough to stay secure.

These are my go-to light blankets, and they will get softer the more we use them. And they are actually cheaper than some of the other brands I've looked at!!! I highly recommend them!

I received the product mentioned above for free or greatly discounted in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I like and use personally.

Muslin Swaddle Blankets 3 Pack - 48x 48 inch

Soft Silicone Bib by Baby Go-Green

My son is still learning how to use his sippy cup (we mostly use the Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup), and he gets rather enthusiastic while drinking. This means that he ends up with milk (water, juice, etc) everywhere! And he tends to soak traditional bibs by the end of a meal. So I thought it would be excellent to try these silicone bibs.

Yup, I'm COVERED in milk!

The Silicone Bibs by Baby Go-Green work very well. The milk either beads up on the bib or falls down into the pocket, which is designed specifically for that purpose. This also means that his food and drink end up in the pocket instead of on his lap! When we are done, I simply take it to the sink, dump it out, rinse it off, and leave it to dry with his cups. Very simple to use.

The only problem I have with it, and it isn't really a problem, more of an unavoidable annoyance, is that you either have to leave the neck loose enough to make it comfortable, but that leaves a place that food and drink can get in behind the bib, or you tighten it and it seems like it chokes him, I've chosen to leave it loose and just deal with the small amount of mess. The bib is very soft and nice. This is a flaw that is going to happen with any silicone bib I think.

My baby also just looks adorable wearing it. They will last a long time, and I look forward to continuing to use them.

I received the product mentioned above for free or greatly discounted in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I like and use personally.

Soft Silicone Bib by Baby Go-Green

Alisten PowerPort 6 USB-C/USB Charging Hub

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5, and we have absolutely horrible reception at my work, so my phone is always dying quickly. I can plug it into my computer and charge it like that, but that is so slow that if I use my phone at all while it is charging, it only slows down the discharge. My work computer doesn't play nice with my phone most of the time either, so I desperately needed a good charging block to take to work.

I then received the opportunity to try and review the Alisten PowerPort Charging Hub. I jumped on the chance and am so glad that I did! This hub has a removable power cord and is surprisingly heavy. It is the size of the palm of my hand or a little larger than a deck of cards. When it is plugged in, there is a fairly bright (but small) blue light that stays on. I personally like having it there because it tells me the unit is getting power. I don't like having to guess if my power strip is working or on...

I don't have a type C cord (I have started to do research on it but haven't gotten my hands on a cord yet), so I can't test that port. But I have checked the rest of the type A ports and they all work perfectly. My phone charges quite quickly.

I love only needing to have one plug in my power strip and still be able to charge up to 6 (including the one C Type) devices. It has seriously cleaned up my desk. There are times where I need to have two phones, my kindle, my tablet, and my battery power pack (my transportable phone charger) and this Hub allows me to do that! I will be getting one for my house as well.

I highly recommend this Charging Hub. I'm really happy with it!

I received the product mentioned above for free or greatly discounted in exchange for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I like and use personally.

Alisten PowerPort 6 USB-C/USB Charging Hub