Tag Archives: giveaway

My review of the new Evenflo Symphony 65 car seat and a giveaway

I know you’ve heard it a million times… 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly according to a recent NHTSA study.

On with the good news..
Evenflo Symphony 65 convertible car seat
Evenflo’s new Symphony 65 car seat features the exclusive SureLATCH system, designed to provide a super-fast, tight and safe installation every time with a simple Click, Click, Push.

My experiences with and thoughts about the Symphony 65

Latch System

With SureLATCH, the Symphony 65 car seat is properly installed in 3 steps. The SureLATCH is easier than our pre-Symphony 65 car seat with the latch system. I don’t have to put my knee in the seat and push down like I’m trying to squish an elephant in order to get the latches in and the car seat tight to the seat. If your car doesn’t have the Latch system, you ca install the Symphony 65 with the seatbelt and given that it is installed correct, it will be just as safe.

Infinite Slide™ Harness Shoulder Straps

I love this feature! I don’t have to take the seat cover off to re-lace the straps as Madelyn gets taller. The Symphony 65 car seat straps slide up and down on a rail system (Infinite Slide) and I can easily adjust the shoulder straps while Madelyn’s in the car seat. “The Infinite Slide Harness Adjustment System makes for easier height adjustment with no rethreading.”

Seat Tilt and Headrest Adjustments

Changing the tilt of the car seat is easy as is changing the height of the headrest. Both are one-handed operations.. unless you try to do both at the same time in which case you are a great multi-tasking mommy and I envy you.

Protection and Comfort

The Symphony 65 car seat features energy absorbing foam liner and side impact protection. The pieces in the headrest that round out for side impact protection also keep Madelyn’s head from falling to the side when she falls asleep in the car seat. Madelyn has enough room to sit ‘criss cross apple sauce’ as they say in school, proving that the Symphony 65 is a very spacious yet safe car seat. Great for long road trips. Comfort Touch fabric makes the seat both aesthetically and physically pleasing for the adults driving the car as well as for the child sitting in the seat. Energy absorbing foam liner.

Evenflo Symphony 65 convertible car seat

Cup Holder

A cup holder is something that I believe no car seat or stroller should be without. Madelyn can reach the Symphony 65’s cup holder unlike with our Britax.. which didn’t have a cup holder. Granted, the seat is almost 3 years old. Before using this car seat she had to put her cup in the actual seat’s cup holder but then couldn’t get it back out! You think she would have figured out that she shouldn’t do that, but she kept trying. The Symphony 65’s repositionable cup holder folds up small so it’s not in the way or bulky and best of all, Madelyn can reach it.

Age

The Symphony 65 accommodates children from 5-35 pounds and can be used rear or front facing. This could be the only car seat your child needs.

Design and Style

The Evenflo Symphony 65 is available in two stylish designs, one great for cars with a grey interior and the other for beige.

The Symphony 65 is larger than my old Britax which I think is fine but it doesn’t fit well in my husbands Volvo sedan which has bucket seats. In his car, the car seat comes within about 6 inches of the front seat so the person sitting in front of Madelyn may get an back massage in the form of tiny feet kicking the seat.
Buy the Evenflo Symphony 65 Convertible Car Seat at Amazon.com for $199 or less.

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving a lucky reader an Evenflo Symphony 65! Leave a comment below (jump link) telling me why you want to win a Symphony 65. Winner will be chosen at random. Entries accepted through December 17th. Re-tweet this post then fill out the comment form a second time with your Twitter ID for 2 extra entries!

Review of Bersica Futurewear: high-tech and innovative clothing line for children, a giveaway + 30% off coupon code

Bersica Futurewear uses a new finishing technology called NanoSphere® on their fabrics which provides a natural self-cleaning effect and an extremely high level of liquid and dirt repellence, something that I as a mom appreciate.  Who knew I would have cared how dirt repellent clothes were 10 years ago before I had kids?

Madelyn loves her Bersica Futurewear clothes (photo right) and even said "I love these Mommy, thank you!" when I put the pieces on her for the first time. She got right up on her step stool in the kitchen and starting posing for pictures right away.. too cute. I don’t know how I feel about the tongue sticking out though.

Bersica Futurewear Benefits:

  • Highly abrasion resistant
  • Remains at its highest performance even after extreme spills and washings
  • These clothes make a tremendous amount of sense to wear while kids are active such as when riding a bike or at the playground.
  • Even when your child is sweating the lining of the pants or shorts will not stick to your child’s skin
  • The inside texture of the pants and shorts is very soft
  • The stitching is great.
  • Can be machine washed – for other washing and care instructions visit the website.

Bersica Futurewear fabric benefits

  • Extremely water and liquid repellent
  • Extremely oil and dirt repellent.
  • Breathable
  • Protects from UV rays
  • Self-Cleaning
  • Contains no harmful chemicals.
  • Requires less washing saving you money

Bersica Futurewear is available for toddlers and kids from 12 months all the way to 12 years old and in a few colors and most pieces are in the $30 range. The benefits of Bersica Futurewear are great and the concept is amazing and much needed in the world of parenthood.

Watch a video on how truly repellent Bersica Futurewear children’s clothing is. It’s a pretty amazing video!

COUPON CODE

Use coupon code MOMMYINSIDER to get 30% off your purchase through 1/03/10

GIVEAWAY!

Bersica Futurewear is offering two lucky readers a $50 gift certificate!
Leave a comment below (click here to jump) related to this post to enter to win. Extra entries can be earned by (1) tell me something you learn about Bersica Futurewear on their website (2) Retweet this post and leave your twitter user name in a seperate comment. Entries accepted until December 13th.

Giveaway > Travel Diaper Clutch with wipes
Contest ends 12/10

Diaper Clutch giveawayGrabbing your somewhat cumbersome diaper bag as you leave the house can be a hassle – especially when you are just going out for a short time. For a limited time with the purchase of any Pampers Big Pack (48 ct or larger), you can receive a small, lightweight diaper clutch that is just big enough and especially designed to hold one diaper and wipes. It’s the perfect size for quick trips away from home.

Now through 12/11/09, when you shop at participating stores (see full listing of participating grocery stores at: PampersDiaperClutchPromotion.com), you can receive a FREE diaper clutch with your Pampers Big Pack (48 count or larger) purchase. Specially-marked packages of Pampers Big Pack Diapers will also include coupons worth up to $20 in savings on future purchases.

Two lucky subscribers* (use the form below to subscribe/enter to win) will get a free diaper clutch.
* Enter your Twitter ID and retweet this giveaway to earn 2 extra entries!


*Subscribers automatically receive our daily (only on days after a new post is published) email newsletter and can unsubscribe anytime.

Citizenpip Soup to Nuts kit + a giveaway!

CitizenpipMadelyn started preschool this year and I was a bit of a wreck on the first Wednesday she attended because that is the day the kids stay an hour later so they can eat lunch at school. A few thoughts that raced in my mind where: what would she think about eating with other kids, they are like aliens to her, what would I pack for her to eat, and what on earth would I pack her lunch in? My first thought was to put some carrots and crackers in a couple of small ziplocks and put them inside a big ziplock and send her on her way. It’s been a long time since I sent a child to preschool.. about 8 years.

I was thrilled for Madelyn when I got the Citizenpip Soup to Nuts kit! I can’t imagine having a more perfect lunch kit for her to take to school. She is able to open the bag and the containers herself so she doesn’t have to ask the teachers for help.

Citizenpip Soup to Nuts kit

THE SOUP TO NUTS KIT INCLUDES:

* • 1 insulated lunch bag with nametag and carabiner that easily attaches to a backpack
* • 1 stainless steel water bottle
* • 1 stainless steel insulated food jar – too big to take to school but perfect for when we’re in the car traveling.
* • 4 BPA-free airtight food containers – Madelyn is able to open and close the containers.. important to her teachers don’t want to kick her out of school!
* • 1 stainless steel fork + spoon set
* • 5 100% cotton napkins – Madelyn LOVES the napkins. She uses them at school and home.

The Soup to Nuts Kit gives you lots of options for packing lunch. With four BPA-free airtight food containers, including one that perfectly fits a sandwich, and an insulated double-wall stainless steel food jar that keeps food hot or cold, it gives you maximum flexibility! PB&J one day and mac n’ cheese the next day? No problem! You can pack pretty much anything your kids want to eat for lunch. Added perks, no squished sandwiches, 1 napkin for each day of the week, and a water bottle that does double-duty as an ice pack. Included is a stainless steel fork and spoon set for spaghetti twirling and soup slurping.

Citizenpip is muck-free: no lead, BPA, PVC, or phthalates.

Where can I buy it? Citizinpip
How much is it? $55
GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win a $42 Citizinpip Square Meal Kit (choice of 3 styles) –
3 ways to enter to win!
1. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite Square Meal Kit style is.
2. Tell me a funny lunchtime story staring your child.
3. Tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to include your Twitter user name in your comment so we can check! Easy huh?
Giveaway entries accepted until 11:59pm October 16th.
Coupon code: mommyinsider10 to get 10% off your purchase of $40 or more!

Citizinpip Soup to Nuts kit

SHORTS movie release + ‘Shorts’ prize package presented by TheMommyInsider.com

I hope you’re looking forward to Shorts, the new PG movie from the director of Spy Kids.. it’s sure to be a huge hit.  Sebastian can’t wait to see it!

ABOUT SHORTS:

In Theaters August 21st.. Shorts is set in the suburb of Black Falls, where all the houses look the same and everyone works for BLACK BOX Unlimited Worldwide Industries Incorporated, whose Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX (say that 5 times really fast) is the ultimate communication and do-it-all gadget that’s sweeping the nation.

Shorts Movie posterShorts movie details

Other than keeping his parents employed, however, Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX has done nothing for 11-year-old Toe Thompson, who just wants to make a few friends…until a mysterious rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky, hits him in the head and changes everything. The Rainbow Rock does Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX one better: it grants wishes to anyone who holds it. Before long, wishes-gone-wrong have left the neighborhood swarming with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, giant boogers…and outrageous magical mayhem around every corner.

But it’s not until the grown-ups get their hands on the Rock that the trouble really starts. Now Toe and his newfound friends must join forces to save their town from itself, discovering along the way that what you wish for is not always what you want.

Watch the trailer on the official website here.


The Mommy Insider is presenting three lucky readers with ‘Shorts’ prize packages!

Shorts movie prizes 2 First Prize Winners will receive these prizes with a retail value of $86.50!

• Kids Backpack (two styles!!)
• “Green Splat” T-shirT
• Lollipop
• Sticker sheets
• Frisbee
• Beach ball
• Hat
• Yo-Yo

Shorts movie prizes 1Grand Prize Winner will receive the complete prize pack listed above as well as the Shorts “Phlat” Ball.

Retail Value $109.50.

To enter to win, watch the trailer here on the official Shorts website, then come back here and leave a comment below telling me tell me why you want to see the movie. 

For additional entries:

  • Tell me what your wish would be if you got hold of the Rainbow Rock
  • Re-tweet this post then leave your Twitter ID in the comment

CONTEST ENTRY DATES: Contest starts on August 7th and ends August 24th

Read The Mommy Insider’s ‘Shorts contest rules’