The Juppy promises to “teach your baby how to walk while saving the strain and stress on your back”. The company’s website says it’s doctor-recommended, which means it must be great, right?

I bought the original Juppy without lining. I got the “boy version” – white with blue trim. The material is stiff and has a canvas feel. The shape of it is similar to the infant/toddler swings at the park – scooped bottom with two leg holes and high sides. Two adjustable straps allow you to pick a height that’s right for you so you don’t have to bend over.

The back of the Juppy has a zipper on it. You put your child’s legs through the holes, zip it up, grab onto the straps and away you and your toddler go! Sounds simple, right? Well, for the most part, it is. I found the straps easy to adjust and found a great height so when my son walked in the Juppy, I didn’t have to bend over. I did experience much less pain in my lower back, but it didn’t completely eliminate it.

My son almost seemed scared of the Juppy. I think, in part, that’s because he lacked self- confidence. He was so used to holding our hands and having that support that he was unsure how to react when his arms were down which forced him to balance more on his own. Juppy’s website claims the product “enables your baby to learn balance on his or her own while providing the security of knowing you are there every step of the way.”

Although I love the idea of the Juppy, the product itself didn’t actually get used much in our house. In part, I think that’s because we got it too close to the time when our son began fully walking on his own (around 13 ½ months). Plus, it wasn’t always convenient to go find the Juppy and put my son in it when he wanted to walk. And we know how kids don’t want to wait – they want it now!

Overall, I think the Juppy is a good product. It costs around $25, is lightweight and comes in a small satin-like pouch that makes it easy to travel with. It’s machine washable and simple to use. For me, it did alleviate some of the lower back pain I experienced trying to help my son walk. My husband only tried using the Juppy a couple of times because he found it easier just to hold my son’s hands – the old-fashioned way of teaching your children to walk. Because there is not physical contact with your hands and theirs, the Juppy takes some of that just learning to walk excitement away for you and your child.

I wouldn’t say the Juppy is a necessary product, but if you have lower back issues or pain and you use the product when your child is younger than mine was, you may find it helpful. If you’re interested in finding out more about The Juppy Baby Walker go to: http://www.thejuppy.com/

What are tips that you’ve used to help your child learn how to walk??

This post was written by Jamie K. Jamie K. is a first-time mom currently living in south Texas with her husband, an Air Force officer, and her 15-month-old son. She’s a professional communicator who works full-time and constantly struggles to balance work and personal responsibilities – and her addiction to chocolate. She’s making an effort to be more “green” by trying cloth diapering, buying organic food when possible and using natural cleaners – and she tries to do it while saving money and getting great bargains.

Back to Tommee Tippee, it’s hard to believe that we’ll be going through Baby C starting solids in just a few weeks. She doesn’t seem as interested in food like Miss A was, but I’m not worried, she’ll do everything in her time. I did get a chance to test out a few products though, I like to try things out and watch things before the kiddos do, just to find out all the quirks and whatnot. When I first got the Tommee Tippee products I noticed how bright and vibrant the colors were. I received an Explora Water-Bottle, in stage 4, the 2 Explora Weaning Bowls with Lid and Weaning Spoon, and an Explora Easy Mat.

Miss A loved fun, pink, Explora Spill-Proof Sippy and so do I! Lately every single sippy we own has been leaking in my diaper bag or all over the car, I’m so over it. This Tommee Tippee cup is a breath of fresh air. It is completely Leak Proof, and has arrived just in time to give me some sanity. The spout of this sippy is rubbery, which I really like because Miss A hated the hard feeling of other sippy’s and would not drink from them when she was younger.

The cup is designed for children 18 months and up, which I agree with, I don’t think a smaller child would be ready to go from breast or bottle to a sippy designed more like a sport squirt bottle,  and even though Miss A is 3, it’s a great alternative to carrying around a regular cup when we’re on the road or somewhere I don’t want the drink to leak out. I also like the ridges on the side of the sippy that give little kids more grip. Tommee Tippy Explora cups come in several stages so check to see what is best for your child.

I was also very impressed with the Easi-mat and Weaning Bowls. The Explora mat covers a good surface, without being too large for standard high chair or booster chair trays. It sticks to all flat surfaces and I even saw on another great mommy blog that it stuck to her wall, unfortunately in our house we have textured walls, so I can’t try that one out for you, but I did try something even cooler for an awesome testimonial on how great the Easi Mat works try holding up a Step 2 table using Tommee Tippee Explora Easi-mat and Weaning Bowl, I did it and it totally worked.  That’s pretty cool if you ask me! *Make sure you wipe all surfaces (and even the bottom of the Easi-mat if you want) with a damp cloth for maximum stickage.

Even though Miss A is 3 these are still great products for older children. I slapped the Easi-mat on her table and pressed the weaning bowl into place and I don’t have to worry about the endless bowls of cereal that fling to the floor. And although A is pretty good with her bowls it definitely helps me feel better about not having to clean up more than I already do.

I never tried Tommee Tippee products before today and have to say that I honestly fell in love. I enjoy not having to clean up my diaper bag, Miss A’s carseat cup holder, change endless wet or stained outfits, or sweep and mop from all the sippy and food spills.

If you want to try Tommee Tippee now is a great time, both Babies “R” Us and Toys “R” Us sell Tommee Tippee products and best yet, today and tomorrow (July 23rd) you can buy any Explora item (cups and toddler feeding), get the second 50% off at BabiesRUs.com.

Thanks again to Mom Bloggers Club and Tommee Tippee for providing review materials, I can’t wait to go buy more for both Miss A and Baby C.

What kind of spills do you hate cleaning up??

Baby Planet Endangered Species line of Strollers have a long list of features & benefits including a 5-Point Harness, 90% Recline, Adjustable Leg Support, Easy Fold Pull Handle, and Oversize Basket to name a few. A few of the extras I always look for and come somewhat standard in lightweight strollers are carrier handles, sunshade, a big basket and weight. The Endangered Species Line come in Giant Panda, the cute one we tried out, the Monarch Butterfly in orange and black, and the Lemur Leaf Frog in a lime green and black. There are things I love about this stroller, and things that really bug me too.

I love the look of this stroller, from the metallic looking wheels to the appealing green bamboo and panda print fabric it’s something different that every mom won’t be pushing around. Compared to my other, unnamed but quality stroller, it has an amazing sunshade with a drop-down visor to give your little rider maximum shade from the brutal summer sun! Seeing that I just had Baby C 3 months ago tomorrow (wow), I’m still regaining my strength from not being able to lift post c-section, this Baby Planet Stroller is pretty light at 17.5 pounds for me.

For those of you who know me, I do not travel lightly so I need space for my humongous diaper bag, drinks, extra towels, and who knows what else I may need. (So shoot me, I like to be prepared.) Although the large basket didn’t fit my diaper bag, it definitely fits a lot more than most lightweight strollers I’ve seen. Kudos Babyplanet!

Since I’m short, my current stroller is a little harder to push around, not only are the handles a little taller, but for some reason, with my stride I am constantly tripping on the wheels. Weird I know, but I saw it in other review too. Not so with the BabyPlanet Stroller, I could push the lower handles with ease and no worries about accidentally falling over the wheels, it’s a pretty smooth ride too!

Lastly, I really like, and don’t have on other strollers….the leg rest, this puppy has 8 different positions, now I don’t know if it’s an absolute necessity for me to go out and compare to other strollers, but it sure is a nice perk. With Baby C I like that I can fold it up when she’s sleeping, since she’s still kinda small, and as she grows I can adjust to her size as she sits, rides, plays, and sleeps.

As for my quirks with the stroller, some of you may not care, but a few things I thought I should mention, that bug me personally, when looking to purchase a stroller have to do with the cupholder, canopy pocket, and instructions.

If a cup holder is not important to you then please ignore the following, otherwise I just want to take a second to complain about the fact that if i do not put my stroller in the van with great care then there’s almost a 100% chance that this external cup holder is going to break right off, at least that’s my fear, and I’m not one to want to take it off and put it on each time I get it out of the stroller, so I’d be one of those people who just did without, although it is a nice feature, if it doesn’t break off first. Here’s my disclaimer: Most lightweight strollers I’ve seen do not come with a cup holder, or come with a similar cup holder, so I may be a voice in the wind, or maybe other parents feel the same way and some day a manufacturer will change how they make cup holders for lightweight strollers.

I am a total by the book momma, and I love reading and following instructions, I know weird. My husband, DaddyB, could care less about instructions, like most daddies, so it didn’t bother him that the Baby Planet Stroller instructions were very vague. Ultimately I did get it together and figured out how to work it, but if you’ve never used a lightweight stroller I may suggest checking out someone else’s before you buy this one.

I checked out pricing online and this seems to be about mid-grade and the right pricing, depending on what store or online site you look at. I’d say it’s between a Chicco and Maclaren for price and comprable to the Maclarens for features and luxury. Overall it’s a decent stroller, the main components are either good or great and best yet, with ever sale of the Baby Planet stroller

We got this amazingly cute Giant Panda stroller by Baby Planet. Did you know that the Panda is the rarest breed in the bear family? Best of all, with every sale, a donation is made to the Wildlife Conservation Society to help protect endangered species and the habitats they occupy.

To learn more about Baby Planet and their strollers go to their website: http://www.baby-planet.com

What’s your favorite style of Baby Planet Strollers?