Recently I was offered the opportunity to do my first product review.  I was sent some samples of GoGo Squeez apple sauces and was asked to post my thoughts here.  I was offered no other compensation for this review other than the samples and will not accept any compensation for reviews that will require a specific opinion to be posted.

 

GoGo Squeez is a fun new snack product made by a french company Materne.  It is natural apple sauce in various flavors packaged in a convenient pouch.  As soon as I opened the Fedex envelope that the samples were in, G grabbed one.  I immediately knew it would be a hit with him.  I twisted off the cap and let him have the plain apple to start.  I don’t know if it was because he hadn’t had breakfast yet or what, but he scarfed down the whole thing in about 3 seconds!  For my picky 18 month old eater that’s pretty amazing.  Unfortunately, the novelty of it seems to have worn off and he isn’t quite as excited about them anymore.  He’s more interested in the bright yellow choking hazard of a cap! (which is properly labeled as such by the company btw)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite G’s lack of continued enthusiasm, I still think GoGo Squeez is a neat product.  I just don’t think its the best design for toddlers.  First, we have the cap issue.  When you remove the cap itself, you get one of those rings remaining on the straw stem.  Its kinda hard to remove, but I wouldn’t give it to G to eat without getting it off.  With the way he’s been teething, he’d have it off and swallowed in a minute.  Second issue I have is the explosion factor.  The pouches are like Capri Sun drink pouches.  Extremely messy for kids that haven’t mastered juice boxes yet.  After the first pouch, his favorite game has become seeing how far he can launch apple sauce.  If you have one of the juice box holders to stick it in, your child might have better luck.For older kids I think the design is perfect.  GoGo Squeez would be great to take to the beach (no sand in your apple sauce), on long car trips (no spoons to drop or anything to spill), on the playground (great healthy snack for the kid that won’t sit for 10 seconds) or anywhere else you don’t want to have to worry about having a spoon.  I love that it is 100% fruit with no added sweeteners or preservatives and that it equals a full serving of fruit.  I like the fact that the pouch is resealable and that you don’t need a spoon or extra straw with it.

Some of the flavors went over better than others here.  The plain, cinnamon and banana were all hits.  The peach was pretty bland in comparison while the strawberry was snubbed completely.  I’m sure its a matter of your kid’s personal preference though.  I’ve found GoGo Squeez here in the organic section at Stop & Shop for about $1 a pouch which makes it a bit pricey perhaps for the everyday school lunch, but cheap enough for a treat on special outings.   Whole foods and Babies R Us also have it along with a bunch of other retailers (check the website for a list).  It is sold in single flavor boxes of 4 or as individual pouches.  Amazon sells it in larger quantities.

In summary, I think GoGo Squeez is a great healthy snack.  I wish more companies would take notes and see it is possible to make healthy food = fun food!

No one can deny that becoming a parent changes things. From the way you eat & sleep (or don’t) to the way your brain works, everything is different. In honor of these changes ParentsConnect.com is sponsoring a contest to find your best ‘Momfinitions’ – those words that you come up with to describe the things that only another parent knows. You can win cash prizes for your own ‘momfinitions’ so check out Twittermoms for details on how to enter. Here are a few I came up with:

No-see-yums – Tiny crumbs, pebbles, specks of dirt that babies and toddlers zero in on like heat seeking missles that are virtually invisible to adults.

I need to vacuum before G’s playdate arrives – don’t want them picking up any noseeyums.

Baby Booty – The delectable treasures kids find under furniture, in couch cushions, stuck in the stroller or carseat.

No wonder G’s never hungry with all the baby booty he snacks on all day!

Eau De Poop – The unmistakable smell of poop in the morning… Or at the supermarket, resturant, in the car, etc.

Uh oh! Time to change the baby. He smells like eau de poop!

Cartunes – Kids music that is insanely annoying yet sticks in your head. You often find yourself belting the songs out while stuck in traffic to the amusement of other motorists.

I was singing cartunes this morning. Too bad I dropped the kids off a half hour ago!

Bluetooth – Unmistakable evidence that your child decided to sample the crayons.

I need to brush G’s teeth to get rid of that chronic case of bluetooth!

Hip Huggers – Toddlers that like to grab on for dear life around your waist and don’t let go. They typically end up with their face pressed in an awkward spot.

G has become a real hip hugger since he started his attachment phase.

Moga – The contortions you find yourself in while retrieving small objects from odd places.

I’m off to do some moga – G dropped cherrios behind the couch.

Bed Leech – A co-sleeping, night nursing, bed hogging toddler that has worn out their welcome and your patience.

It’s time to transition G to a toddler bed – he’s becoming a bed leech!

Visit ParentsConnect.com to see other funny momfinitions!

If this isn’t the epitome of being spoiled, I don’t know is.

I know I’ve been a horrible blogger lately… G got the Coxsackie Virus and gave it to me and C.  We’re finally starting to feel better.  Just in time too.  We’re going next week to visit Grandma in VA.  Not looking forward to the 10+ hr drive down though! 

Mother’s Day was pretty subdued.  C remembered to buy cards from him and G which I was pretty happy about.  I also got to sleep in for 2 extra hours.  I really needed it considering how sick I was.  I honestly don’t remember the last time I got to sleep in – saying it was when I was pregnant wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

We’re currently without a real computer again.  I’ll try to post that saga in a few days, but needless to say, we won’t ever be buying another HP again if I have anything to say about it.  To be fair, the pc isn’t technically a HP.  Its a Blackbird by Vodoo who is owned by HP.  I’ll stick to HP printers from now on though.  I’m sure the run around we’re getting is partially a HP issue from tech support.  I’m just sick of it – we’ve had the machine for 6 months and it has run reliably maybe 2.  For a $5000+ machine, totally unacceptable.  So for the moment I’m on C’s Dell from work.  The keyboard keeps doing funky things, like deleting text as I type.  I never thought it would be easier to post from my iphone!

I promise I’ll be better about posting.  I still have a few reviews to write and upcoming trips to tell you about, but for now, there’s laundry to be done.

You know it’s time for Blue’s Clues when this lasts longer than 30 seconds

Grey hair – found my first a few weeks ago. Guess I should be happy it took until 33. I blame G.

People under 25 are now ‘kids’ in your mind.

You think they don’t write music like they used to.

All the bands you grew up with are doing the ‘nostalgia’ circuit.

They toys you loved as a kid are being rereleased for the next generation as classic editions.

You ‘understand’ all the stuff your parents were trying to tell you years ago.

A teenager driving a car looks WAY too young to be on the road and you let the go first at stop signs “cause you can never tell what they’re gonna do next”.

You can’t eat/drink what you want for fear of heartburn.

Bedtime past 11 is staying up late.

You find yourself complaining about “those damned kids today” and “they better keep off my lawn!”

So, I’ve done it. Never thought I would, but here I am. I’ve gotten myself on Twitter. Trying to figure everything out right now and I’m looking for people to follow. If you want me to follow you, let me know!

Also joined Twittermoms. Saw them mentioned in a few places and figured it’s a good place to get some followers. It’s a bit lonely tweeting to yourself all day.

This is how G decided to wear his pants today. I guess he’ll be asking for some bling next.

Its 11:30 and I’m already wiped out.  Today Dad and Auntie went to Atlantic City on the senior bus and C is at work.  What that means is that I’m home alone with G ALL day.  I know, I know… what’s the big deal?  Millions of moms do it every day.  Some with multiple kids.  Some with multiple kids the same age.  Honestly, I don’t know how they do it. 

G has been a bit of a terror in the mornings lately.  He doesn’t want to eat breakfast.  He doesn’t want to be in the pack & play for more than 30 seconds.  His favorite hobby is banging on the glass doors of the TV cabinet.  And the tantrums!  I thought they were supposed to start at 2!  Not 1 + 2 months!  I’m beginning to think that the people that told me that the terrible twos were the two years between 1 and 3 weren’t joking.  Naps used to be a nice sanity saving constant.  No more.  G is in the stage where he can’t decide if he’s gonna take a morning nap.  Some days yes, some no.  And don’t try and force one if its a no day… he’ll be in a worse mood than ever and will be sure to let you know.

I’m not quite sure how it got so crazy.  He’s spoiled, that’s for sure.  I suppose it was inevitable with us living with the in laws.  I should have been stronger with things.  Put my foot down early on.  But I was just too tired to refuse help in the beginning.  Now G’s used to being picked up whenever he wants.  Dad can’t stand to hear him cry for more than 30 seconds.  Discipline is hard to come by when you can’t let a kid cry.  If I try to be strong, Dad makes me feel guilty.  That guilt along with the guilt over the crying is too much for me.  I’m a wuss when it comes to that.

Thankfully, today was a morning nap day.  So I’ll just sit here and enjoy the silence.  Oh damn!  I typed too loud!

10 Least Liked Foods

1. Peas
2. Uni (raw sea urchin)
3. Beer
4. Liverwurst
5. Black Licorice
6. Beet salad with vinegar
7. Brussel Sprouts (boiled)
8. Green Beans (cooked)
9. Lima Beans
10. Hot Dogs

Ok I know beer isn’t actually a food, its a drink, but I really do hate it.  There really are few foods that I truly detest.  Even some of the ones on this list I can usually stand if they are cooked in something (peas, beer).  Some of them depend on preparation (green beans, brussel sprouts, hot dogs, beets). 

I want to do my best to not limit G’s diet based on my likes and dislikes, but its hard.  I smell some of the baby food that I give him (especially the veggies) and have a hard time feeding it to him.  His baby vitamins are the same way.  I detest the smell of them.  The face the poor kid makes when he takes them looks like I gave him his first shot of tequila on spring break.  I guess I have a hard time believing that something that smells and tastes so bad can really be good for you.