Skip Hop Stay Put Mat

(This is not String Bean)

I recently recieved this Skip Hop Stay Put Mat to try out. I love how the girl in this photo has such a balanced meal on her mat. My String Bean's meals consist of carbs, carbs, and a bite or two of fruit. She's somewhat of a picky eater.

We've got a really nice wooden high chair for String Bean with a tray that has this groove around it (presumably to keep your little one from knocking food on the floor, but clearly a parent did not design it). We've tried the Gerber Lil Trainer Tableware (plate with a suction cup bottom) and we can't get it to stay on this tray. We tried it in public, too, and found that String Bean is smart enough and strong enough to pull the suction off of the table and throw the plate on the floor. No good.

When I got this mat in the mail, my number one priority was to make sure it stayed securely on String Bean's high chair tray. Check. Our next priority was to make sure the plate was secure enough that she couldn't pull it off on a whim. Check.

This plate has non-skid rubber pads on the bottom so String Bean can't push it away. The plate easily comes off the tray for washing (yes, it is dishwasher safe!), and the silverware sits on the tray to keep from getting accidentally knocked off. Of course, String Bean has no idea what to do with a spoon or fork, so she just picks them up and plays the drums with them. Hey, at least she's entertained!

We really like this tray and would recommend it to you if you're teaching your toddler table manners or you're just trying to sit through a meal without having to pick up your toddler's plate off the floor numerous times. At $20, it is more expensive than Gerbers' or some of the other brands' options, but then again, you get what you pay for! This product is more sturdy and is BPA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free. I'm not sure I can say the same for the rest of those guys.

Do I Smell a Pancakes/Waffles Giveaway?

Mmm...Nothing like waking up on a Saturday morning to the smell of pancakes (or waffles) cooking in the kitchen. *sniff, sniff* Can you smell them now?

The good folk at Batter Blaster ("Make a better breakfast faster, Batter Blaster!") sent me a coupon (well, several actually) to try out their organic pancake/waffle batter. I dutifully went out to my local grocery store to the refrigerator section and found this can of Batter Blaster to give it a try. After all, I'm doing it for YOU, the masses. You rely on Amy and I to do the task of trying out these things so you know whether or not they are worth it.

THESE ARE WORTH IT! It has earned the Bean seal of approval. Mr. Bean, String Bean and I all love this stuff.

I'm lazy. I've admitted it before. I'll likely admit it again. We never get pancakes at our house because I'm so lazy; however, Batter Blaster comes in a pressurized can (think whip creme in a can) so there's no mixing or anything. Clean-up is a cinch! All you do is rinse the can and throw it back in the fridge (well, and clean the pan you cooked 'em up in of course).

It is organic! I personally love the chemicals in my food, so this is not a big deal to me, but I know that for health reasons many people out there only eat organic. You'll love adding a little Batter Blaster to your life.

Wondering if it is available in a store near you? The Batter Blaster website has a store locator on it. I'd never seen it in my store before, in fact I'll admit I asked the grocery-man where it was (he gives it rave reviews by the way). I found it plain as day in the refrigerated section of my local grocery store. Most of the grocery stores in my area carry it!

Want to win a coupon to try this product out free for yourself? If I had my way, I'd keep all these coupons for myself, but I'm going to be selfless here. To win, just sign in below. We'll pick 8 lucky winners to receive a coupon for a free can of Batter Blaster. Yum, yum!

Giveaway ends Saturday, December 13 at noon. I'll do my best to get this coupon in your hands in time for that Christmas company if you win!

As always, we'll use the random number generator at Random.org to help us pick our winners! Good Luck!

How Many Days Ago?

I have chicken noodle soup that has been in the refrigerator for 3 days, a jar of baby food that has been in there for 2 days, and it has been 9 days since I last used my electric toothbrush.

I know precisely how long it has been with all of these things because I have this cool new product, the DaysAgo timer. It counts the days (or hours if you wish) that an item has been in the fridge. Kathleen Whitehurst, the inventor of DaysAgo, sent these along to me to try out. I am sure glad she did. No longer am I tossing out mystery food from the rear of my refridgerator!

The great thing about these timers is that you can track all sorts of things with them:

• how long food has been in the refridgerator
• how long that package of chips has been open
  
• how long you've been wearing those disposable contact lenses
• when you last administered pet flea medication
• how long it has been since changing the kitty litter
• how many days ago you did your last self-breast exam
• which day of your menstral cycle it is when you're trying to (or not to) conceive
• how many hours since you gave that last dose of medication (I could have used this after getting my wisdom teeth removed. I was so drugged up, I had no idea when I last took medications!)
• how many hours breastmilk has been out or how many days it has been in the refridgerator (especially helpful during those early newborn days!)

The DaysAgo timers come in three styles: magnetic, band, and suction cup. The magnetic ones are great for jar lids. I hear people use the suction cup ones on bathroom mirrors to remind themselves of self-breast exams. The band ones can go around canisters or non-metal jars.

If only I had thought to put a DaysAgo timer on the milk yesterday when Mr. Bean left it out for several hours, I would have known whether it was salvagable or not. (We are betting on NOT salvagable.)

You can purchase the DaysAgo timers on their website, through Amazon.com,, and at a few other retailers in the US. This product has been featured on Oprah and HGTV. It has also earned the Good Housekeeping Good Buy award.

I imagine you could come up with hundreds of uses for this little gadget and I want to hear them! Leave your ideas for the use of these timers in the comments section!

Exciting News!

No. I'm not pregnant.

We have been in contact with several companies asking us to do product reviews on our blog! Some of these companies are even asking if we would like to do giveaways!! So...if you aren't already, start checking our blog out everyday for some exciting giveaways. Some are edible, some are wearable, and some are useful for everyday.

Be sure to pass the word that Just We Moms is the blog to visit in the next couple of months!