Monday, December 29, 2008

Our new 2008 Honda Pilot


We are the proud owners of a 2008 Honda Pilot 2wd Value Package. With a baby on the way, we decided to purchase a new vehicle. We set our sights on the Honda Pilot and watched prices carefully on Carsdirect.com for weeks.

In February 2008 the price finally dropped another $1,000 and we decided it was time to buy. We contacted Carsdirect.com and talked to a friendly sales staff member who said he could even beat the price on the website by another $300. The salesman located the vehicle at a dealership and arranged everything. All we had to do was go and pick up the vehicle.

We have driven the vehicle over 6,000 miles now in 10 months and we could not be happier with our purchase. The ride is very comfortable and we can really load it up for trips. We have driven up to the bay area and down to San Diego and enjoyed each road trip. It even gets good gas mileage, especially for such a large and versatile vehicle.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Pinch collar for labrador retriever training dog walk

We were having trouble with our labrador puppy; He wouldn't walk properly on a leash. This was not a huge surprise to us, as we did our research and knew that labs can tend to be crazy, yet loving masses of energy. So, we consulted our pet store and our in-laws and settled on a training 'pinch' collar, pictured below.





It might look inhumane at first, but believe me, when it is used properly, it is a very valuable tool. Read the directions carefully before using it, then be prepared to actually be able to take your labrador retriever for a relaxing and enjoyable walk. Don't worry if it doesn't work right away, stay consistent in your discipline with you dog and he will learn through repitition. My wife was 5 months pregnant and could take an enjoyable walk with our 6 month old labrador puppy thanks to this product.

Labrador Retriever Training Introduction Dog Yellow

When we got our new yellow labrador puppy from the breeder in July 2007, we had no idea what we were in for. A little puppy is a lot of work! We quickly discovered a puppy is like a cross between a newborn baby and a 2-year old, because they require constant attention, but they move really fast!




One book we purchased was the one pictured above. It is a great introduction to labrador retrievers, what to expect, puppies, training, etc. We were glad we invested a few dollars and got this book.

Our new yellow labrador retriever puppy


In July 2007 we got a Yellow Lab Puppy and we named him Buddy. If you have seen or heard of the movie Marley & Me, you have a vague idea of what we experienced. The first night was nearly unbearable as he cried nearly all night long. The second night wasn't much better. We told ourselves things would get better and stuck with it. He was so cute and everybody always has good things to say about labs. He was immediately part of the family and every day got easier.

We tried to get a lot of books so we could read as much information as possible in order to train him as quickly. We decided it would be a good idea to crate train him so he would grow to love his bed. This was also very difficult but it wasn't long before he would be happy to go to his bed.

Needless to say, we love our puppy and could not be happier with our decision to add him to our family.

If you are thinking about adding a labrador puppy to your household, make sure you do your research and are really up to the challenge. We have been told the 'puppy' phase lasts 2-3 years. So far we are 18 months into the experience and we love it.

I'll make other posts sharing our experience with dog training classes, helpful resources and books, and our training collar. Stay tuned...

Disneyland with a Baby


In November, my family made our 5th annual trip to Disneyland for Thanksgiving. This year the adventure took on a new turn as we had our six month old child with us. I was pretty nervous about being able to care for our baby while being inside the Disneyland Park and the California Adventure Park, however Disney's accommodations exceeded my expectations.

Both parks have special areas called Baby Care Centers that are a welcomed escape from the activity. In Disneyland, the Baby Care Center is located at the end of Main Street next to the First Aid Station. In California Adventure, the Baby Care Center is located just behind the Mission Tortilla Factory.

At each Baby Care Center I found nice changing tables with disposable paper, high chairs, as well as private nursing areas (this was good for me because my baby can in no way nurse in public). The Baby Care Centers also have reasonably priced baby food, diapers, and wipes. I actually ended up buying the Huggies diapers there for one dollar each. The Cast Members inside are very friendly and helpful.

Both Baby Care Centers were nice, but there were different things that I preferred at each. At Disneyland, I liked the changing area and found it far superior to using the common bathroom changing stations. At California Adventure, I appreciated the rocking chairs and curtained off areas for nursing. I also enjoyed the peacefulness and vacancy of both centers, however as the day went on I would imagine the Disneyland Baby Care Center got very crowded.

All in all I would say this was a great experience. I had no idea how easy it would be to care for a six month old at Disneyland. I even ran out of diapers because we ended up staying in the Parks all day instead of returning to our hotel as I had planned. With the Baby Care Centers' help you can do it!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Beaba Babycook Williams Sonoma Baby Food Cooker Review

I think this is a fantastic product for anyone who wants to make their own baby food. It steams, purees, and reheats. I have used it eight times thus far and have been very satisfied with the results.



Before using this product, I emailed Williams Sonoma regarding the use of Bisphenol-A (BPA)in the plastic bowls. I was assured by the customer service representative that the bowls do not contain BPA.

Recently, I was viewing some blog posts about this product and these people seem to think the Beaba Babycook does contain BPA. The Babycook is made of polysulphone and they assert that polysulphone does contain BPA while Williams Sonoma is saying that the BPA is not released during use of the product.

Considering that BPA can cause neurological and Behavior problems in children, using the Babycook with BPA in it (whether released or not) is just not a risk I am willing to take. I have emailed Williams Sonoma again to get a straight answer and then I will update my review of this product.