Safety – BurritoBuzz

Stair Barrier {Review}

Published on November 8, 2017November 10, 2017 by KirstynVelez- www.BurritoBuzz.comLeave a comment

We all have been there… those plastic, slide adjustment baby gates…there was always that weird in-between setting where it was either too loose or too tight. You end up settling for something in the middle and if the wind blew the wrong way, it fell over. Storage was a pain, taking it down and putting it back up was a pain… If you wanted to install it on the bottom of your stairs, you were S.O.L and installed at the top of the stairs isn’t the safest thing! All it takes is a little weight and pressure and your regular baby gate comes dislodged and your gate and child or pet are tumbling down the stairs.

Cumbersome baby gates, move over- Stair Barrier is the most aesthetically pleasing and versatile baby gate on the market.

The Stair Barrier is available in a variety of different fabrics , sizes, and Banister-to-Wall or Banister-to-Banister type and requires very little to no time to install. In short, it will easily fit pretty much any staircase without problem.

To touch on the different points-

Fabric: The variety of fabric choices allows for you to have a gate that compliments pretty much every theme and design style you can imagine. There is also an option to personalize them so if your house is anything like mine, and your stairs smack you in the face when you walk in the front door, having a bit of personalization is a nice touch. Now, the personalization does take about 2 weeks longer, but you have the option of ordering your Barrier and having the personalized patch mailed separate (it Velcro’s on- pretty nifty). They also make an indoor/outdoor version, which would be perfect for keep pets on or off decks and patios!

Sizes: The Stair Barrier comes in 2 different sizes, regular and wide. It’s super simple to figure out which one you need with a simple measurement. There is actually an option to order a custom size as well.

Banister-to-Wall: This is what I needed as our stairs have well, a banister and a wall.

The install was fairly simple and required a few screws and that was it. Took maybe 10 minutes total to get it installed?

Banister-to-Banister: This one is portable and weighs only 6lbs! It rolls up small enough that you can virtually take it anywhere and everywhere!

We received a Banister-to-Wall, wide, black and tan Chevron print Stair Barrier with a personalized patch. Our stairs are smack dab right when you walk in the front door, so I figured something even more aesthetically pleasing then the already amazing solid colors would suffice. The package came quickly in a plain brown box (the patch was mailed seperate). Installation was simple and overall its amazing.

Although our youngest is only 8 weeks and can’t climb the stairs yet, its extremely helpful for keeping our dogs off the stairs. Being able to roll the barrier out of the way when we need to walk up and down the stairs is extremely helpful.

Price wise, you’re looking at anywhere between roughly $120 and $180 (and up to $269 for a custom size) depending on the style and if you chose to have your item personalized. Is this high? yes. Is it worth it? yes.

Shipping is FREE and they offer a 30 day satisfaction guarantee (which you won’t need because this product is honestly, amazing)

5 out of 5 from me.

Kirstyn

Make Bathtime Safe with Puj

Published on September 3, 2016August 28, 2016 by Casey SehmLeave a comment

Bathtime is one of our family’s favorite parts of the day. My oldest loves bubble baths and pretending the bath is the ocean with her Octonaut toys and my youngest, who is just now starting to sit up, loves splashing around while sitting in her bath chair. While bathtime can fun (and relaxing for me, as I know bedtime this close), it can be dangerous. This American Academy of Pediatrics article from 2009 states that on average, 43,000 children are hurt in bathtub or shower-related falls in the United States each year. When my daughter was two, she slipped in our bathtub and chipped her front tooth. It was terrifying! I reached out to an amazing company, Puj, who has innovative and simple products, included bath safety products. Puj was kind enough to send me two awesome products that will help keep your little ones safe!

Puj (pronounced Pudge) was created by parents of four, Ben and Katie Richardson, with a simple mission: to simplify parenting with great products, designed to make parents’ lives easier. Puj was born when Ben and Katie were searching for a better way to bathe their second baby. Their solution was the ultimate baby bathtub, the Puj tub (check it out here, it’s an absolute must for infants). Since then, Puj added many, many more innovative and simple products.

Puj-Clever-Grippy-Bath-Treads--pTRU1-21842116dt

I was fortunate enough to have received two of those products, Puj bath treads ($14.99) and an elephant Puj Snug ($9.99), to review. You can get a plain old bathtub mat anywhere, but Puj bath treads are super spunky and fun! Each pack comes with six 6” round bath treads and there are two colors to chose from. They are also BPA and PVC free, so no worrying about chemicals! The grippy surface helps prevent slipping for both parents and children and can even be placed outside of the tub for added traction when stepping out of the tub. They’re super easy to apply: clean the surface of the bathtub with bathroom cleaner, rinse with water and allow the bathtub to dry completely. Once it’s dry, apply the self adhesive treads and allow 24 hours before using the tub. The good thing is they’re easy to remove and don’t leave any residue or damage!

The Puj Snug is so simple and so necessary with children. It protects their little heads and limbs from hitting the spout. I know my oldest has hit her head several times on the spout, (and I have too!) It’s made out of a super soft foam-like material, (made from excess material from the Puj bath tub) that is BPA and PVC free and can easily bend and flex. The Puj Snug elephant comes in four colors: gray, white, kiwi (yellow) and aqua. It allows access to the shower diverter and because it’s flexible, it can fit on almost any spout. Simple and easy but makes a big difference during bath time.

Puj has amazing products, not just for bath time but for mealtime, and body products for mom and dad. All of their products are gender neutral, so it makes it easy to plan for baby. I give the Puj Snug and Puj bath treads 5 out of 5 stars. They have made bath time so much safer for both of my girls and for my husband and I as well. The price points of Puj products great, they’re very affordable and the about the same as similar products on the market. Check out all of the products Puj has to offer here! You won’t be disappointed!

Be sure to follow Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for sales and new products updates!

– Casey

**BurritoBuzz received these products at low or no cost for the purpose of review or testing. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All product reviews are based 100% off of our personal experiences and we never guarantee a positive review.**

Checking for Lead + Radon in Your Home

Published on June 25, 2016June 20, 2016 by Ryan + Kate PhotographyLeave a comment

I live in a century home, which I both love and hate. The love: the history here is amazing. You can see the decades in the house and the character truly shines through in simple details like original the woodwork and doors. This house is sturdy, built with plaster walls and oak floors.

The hate: constant upgrades. Century homes require a lot of work. We’ve finally got our house into an updated state, but it took blood, sweat and tears. On top of that, there are a lot of unknowns that you wouldn’t have with a newer home. So my big fear this past year has been the unknown: toxins, hiding in plain sight. I wanted to be sure my home was safe for my one year old son, so I decided to take some precautions.

Water Lead Testing

Because of Flint, Michigan’s tragic led poisoning, we’re all a bit more aware of how systems can fail. Our government doesn’t always take the necessary actions and precautions, and unfortunately many of us are oblivious to the harms that can be hiding in our homes. Water, a basic necessity to life, can poison you when filled with harmful particles like lead. Because we live in a century home, I was worried about old plumbing and piping. Testing for lead made me nervous. If the results were positive, that meant spending thousands of dollars to fix the problem.

I purchased this watersafe lead test, which runs between $10-$15. WaterSafe Water Test Kit for Lead

The kit was simple. The instructions were clear and after prep and testing, I knew the results within 12 minutes of opening my kit. Thankfully, there was no lead in our water.

Lead Paint Testing

My home is three stories + a basement. Each room has been painted many times over, quite certainly. The top coat paint in each room is lead free, since most of the rooms in our home have been painted since we moved in. However, places that have chipped away needed testing, as did our basement, where the paint is obviously older.

The kit I ordered is around $12 and comes with two swabs.
LeadCheck LC-2SDC Disposable Non-Staining Lead Detection Swabs, 2 Per Pack

I was a little frustrated by the options for lead paint testing. Most kits only come with two swabs and I wanted to test around 20 surfaces in my home. To actually buy enough swabs to test 20 surfaces, it would have cost me way more than I wanted to spend. So I took the advice of many others that have done these tests: when I broke the tube, I swabbed Q Tips inside and then rubbed the them onto the surfaces I was testing. It worked wonderfully and I tested a ton of surfaces. Surfaces with lead make the Q Tip turn pink. Otherwise, the Q Tip stays yellow. The yellow liquid does show on your walls/surfaces, but wipes off easily. Results show within about 30 seconds. You do have to scrape away paint to get to the layers of paint you want to test. Thankfully, I tested areas that were already chipped.

Radon Testing

You may have had this test done when you moved into your home. We did not. We were young, naive, and didn’t understand the importance of a Radon test. Radon is fairly common in the area of Ohio that we live in. It has been shown to be exceptionally harmful to a person’s health and as such, we wanted to be sure we knew what we were dealing with in our own home. If Radon is detected, a system can be placed into your home to remove the gas. This test is a bit more difficult and precise.

A radon test kit is around $12.
First Alert RD1 Radon Gas Test Kit

Unfortunately, this test doesn’t give instant results and must be sent in. The directions are very specific, so make sure you follow them. After you mail your kit in, you are able to check the status online by using a tracking number that they give you.

These tests should be done in any home, but even more so when you have children. I know that I cannot control every environmental factor, toxin or carcinogen that will come in contact with my child, but I can try to control what I’m aware of.

We are thrilled that we were able to do all of these tests on our own for under $50. It was definitely $50 well spent for peace of mind.

– Katie

D-Link Day & Night Wi-Fi Baby Monitor {Review}

Published on May 27, 2016May 26, 2016 by Casey SehmLeave a comment

This past, week my husband and I decided it was time for our 9 week old to move into her big sister’s bedroom (she has been in our room since birth) and I knew we needed a baby monitor to keep an eye on them. She has been sleeping through the night for about two weeks and we desperately wanted to have our room to ourselves again, my poor husband has been on the couch since she came home! We weren’t concerned about having a video monitor, as our iPhones and iPad could double as monitors (and it saves money!). We just wanted a good camera that we could hear and see our girls on. We went with the D-Link Day & Night DCS-800L Wi-Fi Baby Monitor and I am so glad! I don’t know much about baby monitors or cameras for that matter, but this one has exceeded my expectations!

First off, it’s small so we attached it to the top corner of my daughter’s crib to where we can see the baby and also my three year old in her bed. The way we set it up in their room up is perfect for the angle we get with the camera. It can be set up wirelessly or plug it in. We opted to just plug it in so we didn’t have to worry about a dead battery but the wireless option is nice so we can use it anywhere. It also has all of the features I wanted in a monitor. The video picture is incredibly clear for a baby monitor. I am pleasantly surprised with the quality. I love that you can snap pictures or take videos right from the live feed. So if your baby or toddler is doing something cute, it automatically saves to your camera roll.

Features:

It has 2-way audio so you can sooth baby without going into the room\
Infrared night vision, sees up to 16 feet
Prerecorded 5 soothing lullabies
4x digital zoom
802.11n wireless lets you place the camera anywhere
Motion or sound alerts when baby moves or cries
Notifications can be sent to your phone for detected events
3 interchangeable accent rings: yellow, pink and blue
H.264 video compression and PCM audio
Snap photos or record video live video with app
Can be powered by an external USB battery
Compatible with iPhone and iPad using iOS 5.1.1 or higher
Compatible with Android smartphones and tablets using Android 4.1 or higher

Once you set up the camera, you download D-Link’s free app. It’s easy to do and takes a minute. When your D-Link account is setup, you can access the camera remotely as long as you have wi-fi connection on your tablet or phone and also through the website so you can see baby from any computer, anywhere in the world. The video quality is superb, even at night, so you can always see baby perfectly. The infrared night vision turns on automatically when blinds are drawn or at night. The app offers so much for parents’ peace of mind, like movement and sound alerts (that you can also get e-mailed to you) and even if your phone or tablet is locked, you can still hear what is going on which is so important as it won’t kill your battery!

I am so glad we went with this camera. The price is on point as well at $99.99 (I purchased from Kmart but it’s available at many stores or websites). We have had zero complaints and are thrilled that it works so well. There are several different models, some of which have panning capabilities, which is the only feature I now wish this model had but I am very impatient and a local store had this model in stock so I didn’t have to order it online. But overall, I give it 5 stars. I honestly can’t find anything wrong with it!

– Casey

I’m not throwing caution to the wind…

Published on May 7, 2016May 7, 2016 by Ryan + Kate PhotographyLeave a comment

I’ve seen a lot of articles lately about “being tough on your kids” and “let them bleed” philosophies. The idea: that life is tough, so get a helmet.

To each their own, but I’m not that mom.

I think there is a fine line between coddling your baby, and just wanting them to avoid unnecessary harm. I fall into the latter category.

When my baby is whining for no good reason, I let him whine. When he’s genuinely not injured and milking it, I let him whine. When he does NOT want to sleep, even though he’s tired… I let him whine. I’m not reacting to his falls unless they’re warrant attention. I’m not endorsing reckless behavior. I’m certainly not allowing him to dramatize situations merely for the attention of it.

You get it.

But the “let them bleed” mentality is not for me. If my toddler falls and is obviously in pain, I’m going to snuggle him until he feels better. Am I going to leave my child unattended to play outside? Not anytime soon. Am I going to let him crawl up the stairs without me right behind him? Someday, but that day isn’t now when he’s 15 months old.

My child is a pretty stinking independent kid for his age, and I think it’s important to let him play and learn on his own.

But I draw a line when being cautious with your child is somehow a bad thing. Avoiding unnecessary chaos? I’m all about it. We instinctively protect our children, and from an emotional and even biological standpoint it makes sense. Apologizing for my intuition to keep my child safe/healthy is not something that’s happening any time soon.

So here’s what I’m getting at: balance. Not coddling, but also not being cold to the fact that your child is just that… a child. They’ll know the harsh realities of the world soon enough no matter how you parent. And as my child gets older, I’ll step back, because I’m raising him to be a responsible, mature, adult that can choose caution on his own and will certainly make mistakes.

My son is our one and only. We struggled to get pregnant, and could have lost him so easily in labor had things gone differently. Perhaps a combination of these things has made me think day in and day out how much I want him to just live a happy, healthy, safe life. And, if that means my biggest vice is being too cautious… so be it. My parenting has in no way been a hindrance to his development and independence.

We’re all doing the best we can do. Parenting styles differ, and to say that being a cautious parent is a bad thing… well, if that’s the worst thing I’m doing then I’m doing pretty well at this parenting gig.

-Katie

BabyKeeps {Safety Product Review}

Published on December 3, 2015December 1, 2015 by Ryan + Kate PhotographyLeave a comment

My nearly ten month old son is into everything. He’s nearly walking, so he can reach most things, open most things, and destroy most things.

And I have a love-hate relationship with most baby-safety products.

I hate spending money on things that I’m going to use for such a short time.
I do not want to drill holes into all of my nice woodwork.
It all looks like crap. Nothing says “welcome to my home” like giant, white plastic safety locks on all of the cabinets. Need some toilet paper in a jiffy? Good luck.

After using a few very dated safety latches, I went on the hunt. Hello, I’m a mommy blogger. Isn’t that my job? It was time to put my Amazon Prime membership to use (as if I don’t already do that daily.)

I stumbled upon latches from a new company called BabyKeeps. They looked simple enough, and the brown plastic I ordered matched most of my cupboard fairly well (they also come in white.) These will run you right around $20.00. (A little pricey for my personal taste, but I thought they were worth a shot.)

They are straightforward. The latches attach with adhesive. You clean the contact surfaces that you’ll be attaching the latch to, measure the length that you’d like the latch to make it tight and secure, cut off the excess, lock in the end that won’t be opening, and stick both ends on! It takes less than a minute per latch.

Closed Latch

Open Latch

I now have these latches on our kitchen appliances, cupboards, our TV stand, end tables, and our pantry. They have held up very well, and I’m confident that my son will be unable to open any doors that he shouldn’t be opening (I still always have him within eyesight, but with much less worry.)

I love how easy the latch is to get undone and re-latch. I often have my son in one arm and need to be able to undo the latches with one hand. I can do that with these, with very little strain. The latches fasten back together by just pushing the plastic down.

And for those worried about the adhesive ruining your surfaces? Not to worry. Simply take a blow-drier to the surface for a few minutes, and then break the seal with a butter knife. I attached one of my latches incorrectly (because I needed to tighten it,) and quickly removed it and re-attached it with new adhesive.

The kit comes with 6 latches, and one bonus gift, which I love! The bonus gift is a little snail that adheres to a door. The snail can swivel to prevent the door from closing (to save tiny fingers,) or to allow it to close completely. Cute, and practical!

I highly recommend this product from BabyKeeps, and hope to see more from them in the future! As a side note, their product has a lifetime warranty! Icing on the cake (or in my case, guac on the Chipotle bowl.)

-Katie