Baby C {now almost 20 months},{when should I stop calling her Baby C, if I call her Baby C forever will she stay little, no? Okay }, is doing great using her forks, in fact some days I think she is going to break the plate when she gouges into her food, and she’s actually doing pretty well using her spoons too, however the kid spoons that I have found are often too flat so it was great to try out the Beaba 360 Spoon with her.

Here is a video of Baby C using the Beaba 360 Spoon. Please ignore the bed head, she just woke up and is eating breakfast, and Miss A is narrating *LOL*

Bright colors - they really stand out from the other utensils, making them easy to grab when Baby C is hungry.

Easy to hold – more so for children who are just learning to use utensils, Baby C does better with smaller utensils but she has amazing fine motor skills, look how she holds her crayons with no training if you don’t believe me {I swear she was born that way.}

 Good Depth – the actual scoop part of the spoon is great for picking up small things like Cheerios, and peas and helps give little ones confidence by preventing frustration that comes from dropping food with traditional utensils.

Kickstand - the spoon comes with the back end that is used more for a lock, however I was able to use it as a sort of “kickstand”, if you will to hold the spoon up to keep from tipping over small cups and bowls like yogurt.

Lastly, I love that the product is BPA and phthalate free, a must in today’s purchases. Yes there are spoons that will be cheaper and I have those in my utensil drawer too, however I would recommend at least purchasing one of the Beaba 360 Spoons as a “training spoon” for your toddler. They are $10.00 on the Scandinavian Child website and come in three different colors depending on who you are buying them for. Head over here: http://www.scichild.com/Shop/Feeding/360-Spoon to check them out.

I received a Beaba 360 Spoon from SCI Child in order to write this review, however the opinions and words expressed in the post above are my own. Yours may vary.

I’ve always been a little skeptical of parents saying, “my baby doesn’t want baby food, they just want to eat what I am eating.” Often times I think they just don’t want to buy baby food out of cost or convenience. Now, I’m not talking about making your own baby food necessarily, I’m talking more about what’s on the parents plate at dinner time.

Well, guess what, I had a Momnesia Moment! I was eating mashed potatoes, (red skinned, garlic if you must know) and Baby C was eating her chicken and sweet potatoes baby food, well wouldn’t you know I got a lot of hollering and fussing from her every time I put my food into my mouth. I gave her a bite of the creamy mashed potatoes (can you tell I’m Irish yet? ) and she’s so her mother’s daughter, loved them!

Being the mommy that I am, I gave her a few more bites of the potatoes and then back to the chicken and sweet potato puree, but much to my surprise she swatted them away…flying all over the kitchen stove and mommy. This back and forth went on for a while, I finally got to sneak in a few bites of her own food in between potatoes and ended up not completely covered in baby food, luckily.

But I did learn one thing, when people say their baby’s only want what their parents are having….it may just be the truth.

What’s your child’s favorite food? Did they ever want “real” food over baby food?

Today, we are going to lay out some of the problems of high fructose corn syrup- what it does to your body, the negative effects it has on your immune system, the link between HFCS and obesity, and more.

Side Effects

High fructose corn syrup, so commonly found because corn has become one of the cheapest and most widely available crops, acts as an alternative sweetener to table sugar. The fructose has a much sweeter taste and acts as a much more cost effective option for food producers and manufacturers.

Ultimately, HFCS is the number one cause for obesity in the United States of America. The sweetener has been found to have the ability to decrease metabolism and hinder the natural production of insulin and other appetite controllers, amongst other problems.

Obesity

HFCS limits your body’s ability to produce insulin and leptin, making it difficult to metabolize food and regulate appetite. The pancreas remains insulin-resistant to all types of fructose, including HFCS, severely hindering appetite control. In short, when you consume HFCS, you leave yourself open to the risk that you will over-consume calories from all sources, as your body will fail to realize when it is full.

Diabetes

Due to obesity and an irregular fluctuation of insulin, HFCS leads to diabetes in many people. Continual pancreatic damage remains the main cause of diabetes, and this is exacerbated by the soda problem in the United States.

Tooth Infections and Decay

Foods rich in sugars and sweeteners like HFCS rot teeth by decayingthe enamel coating — something that cannot be grown back by the body. It iseven more dangerous in America due to the fact that we consume such a highamount high fructose corn syrup on a daily basis.

Triglycerides Increase

Sugars metabolize into fat, therefore increasing your unhealthy cholesterol levels along with the fat storage areas in your body. Since high fructose corn syrup does not cause the secretion of insulin or leptin, foods with high levels of the sweetener become nearly fully absorbed and metabolized into fat and cholesterol. Triglycerides multiply rapidly, and heart disease is not far away.

Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Heart Disease

High amounts of HFCS often result in higher cholesterol, which in turn blocks arteries and the flow of blood to and from the heart. This process weakens the heart muscles and the ability for new oxygen to circulate throughout the body. The increase in fat storages also harms overall heart health.

Poor Immunity

HFCS interfere with the creation of hormones and enzymes in your body that normally defend major diseases. By increasing the amount of OFCS you consume, you actually hinder your immune system and hurt your body’s ability to maintain health.

Lack of Calories

Even though foods that contain high levels of HFCS provide a ton of calories, those calories have no nutritional value at all. This often gets labeled as the empty calorie phenomenon, where you tend to consume a major portion of your calories through foods with no nutrients at all.

Fatigue

High levels of sugar cause your body to release greater amounts of hormones and endorphins that slow the body down. After consuming HFCS, many people experience a sugar rush, with high energy levels for a brief period of time. Because of the lack of nutritional value of HFCS-containing foods, this rush is quickly followed by a sugar crash and long period of depleted energy.

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

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??

I had no clue where to sit so I grabbed a seat next to three great women, Kathy from Kath Eats Real Food, Emily from The Front Burner, and Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point, right away I noticed these ladies were total foodies, I felt a little weird sitting there, being a stay-at-home-mom who usually eats standing and often with my fingers, but again I don’t think anyone really noticed. From what I gathered I think I may have been the only mom blogger there, which was pretty cool. The girls and I talked a little about Virginia and DC as two of them are moving away very soon.

I got to meet Chef Keith Snow from PBS’ Harvest Eating who was really down to Earth and seemed very nice. Once the presentation began the yummy food from Charlotte’s Mimosa Grill arrived on the table. Everything I tasted was very delicious, of course I had my favorites of a goat cheese stuffed chicken breast and tomato and mozzarella tower, and you can’t forget dessert, I was offered two, but the Carolina Mountain Cherry Cheesecake was my favorite by far, so rich and creamy…..yum…oops back to what you all came for, Ball Canning…

I learned so much I hadn’t already known about Ball as a company and their products. I don’t want to overwhelm you with all of my newly acquired knowledge but I will say that I did not realize that Ball is made in the US and was started over 125 years ago, that means my grandma’s grandmother could have used Ball canning goods. CRAZY! Chef Keith Snow’s grandmother used Ball so not only does he love using Ball for his own canning needs, but it carries a personal attachment to his family as well.

Although I don’t recollect details, I do remember people in my family canning, but from what I remember I remember a long, tedious, process with lots of steam, and tongs which at the time was sort of scary for me being so little. Definitely not something I would think I would be considering when I grew up, but here I am, mother of two beautiful little girls, trying to make healthy decisions for my family and not wanting to spend hours in the kitchen because trading off time spent with my girls is just not an option for me.

It seems like a lot of people are in my position, and if not, I know there are a bunch of you who are trying more local foods or better yet growing your own gardens, (go you!!), and canning is a great option for you. For those of us who are afraid of canning I learned at this luncheon how easy canning really can be (no pun intended, unless you want it to be,) an easy process.

Chef Snow showed the luncheon attendees, bloggers, retailers, consumers, how simple it is to make a Zesty Salsa from scratch, using just a few ingredients he cooked up a fresh, vibrant salsa that was ready to be canned. After cooking up the salsa and heating his Ball glass canning jars he poured the mixture in, put the lid on top and screwed on the band and set the jars in the water to heat up and cool. Voila you have a great dish, or even a fun gift and the nice thing is you can make batches to save for future use. There are some items need to be pressure cooked, but water boiling is a great option for canning simpler items.

Ball introduces it’s newest Canning Discovery Kit. This kit is amazing for anyone who wants to learn how to can on a budget. At $10 to $12 you really can’t go wrong, and you get 3 pint-sized Ball Home Canning Jars, with lids and bands, plastic canning rack with lifter, and a step-by-step beginner’s guide to canning and recipe booklet. As long as you have pots, pans, water, and ingredients you’re all set. Not too shabby!

The recipe book that comes with the Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit gives mouth-watering recipes for Dill Pickles, Corn Relish, and more. I’m most excited about trying to make some Blueberry Syrup, but that’s if I ever get enough time to do so.

Check out the Ball Website for more great items here: http://www.freshpreservingstore.com/ and get your Home Canning Discovery Kit at Ball, at Lowe’s, or Walmart. I have yet to see the products on the Lowe’s or Walmart online and noticed it’s back ordered with Ball but you can be emailed through the Ball website.

Have you ever tried canning? What are your memories or experiences with canning?

Ball Home Canning is giving away a Discovery Kit to one lucky MommyB reader.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this paragraph (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entryentries you are submitting. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be completed before you can qualify for additional entries.

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Giveaway ends July 27th @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.