Using a Sounds for Silence White Noise Machine to Help Babies Sleep

When you have a newborn baby, nothing is better than the sound of your baby sleeping ... especially if you're dead tired from exhaustion. You will do anything to help your baby sleep longer. There are many techniques for getting your baby to sleep, but what about keeping your baby asleep?

MW just a few hours old.

What Is a White Noise Machine?

A white noise machine, or brown noise generator, produces ambient noise that is soothing and helps block out noise from other rooms and outside. Some white noise machines play a prerecorded track while others produce organic noise with a fan.

How Can Background Noise from a Noise Making Machine Help My Baby Sleep?

By blocking out background noise, your baby can sleep longer and more soundly. This is especially important if you have children who are older who might wake your baby up early from a nap or in the mornings, and even more especially if you, like me, live in a very small house/apartment (i.e. our toddler's room is on the other side of the wall from our TV).

Alex when he was just an iddy-biddy 'ittle baby

According to Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, "Most babies sleep better when a harsh, continuous white noise plays near their bassinet. These womb-like sounds drown out other distracting noises and have a profoundly lulling effect. ... [T]he mere addition of white noise to your baby's nursery may extend his sleep by an hour or two."

Authors Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack of The Sleepeasy Solution also recommend it. "Protect your child from distracting sounds ... with some steady white noise. ... Once your child is sleeping better, feel free to see if he can do without it. Some kids, though, will always sleep better with white noise and ... it's a harmless [sleep association] as it does not interfere with sleep but actually should enhance it."

With so many benefits to white noise machines, it's no wonder so many parents are using them as sleep aids for their kids. It's easily controlled (unlike pacifiers which can be lost and music which eventually stops). You can have a white noise machine playing throughout the night if needed.

Options for a Baby Sound Maker Including Sounds for Silence

There are quite a few options out there when it comes to providing a sweet bliss for your baby's room.

Dreamegg D1 Sound Machine

One of the most well-loved is the Dreamegg D1 Sound Machine, which has over 1,500 ratings and a 4.7/5 star rating. This machine has many options including 24 loop-less soothing sounds. Although it's advertised for use with young children, it works well for adults too. One of the cons mentioned is that the light doesn't have a brightness setting, but you can turn it off. Some parent's prefer to keep the light on, so they can check on their baby without turning on a lamp, which might wake babies up.

Another white sound maker designed for little ones is LetsFit White Noise Machine. Sounds include three white noise, three lullabies, two clothes dryer, and five nature sound tracks. It includes an adjustable night light that gives enough light for diaper changes while allowing the baby to sleep soundly. This noise machine has a 4.8/5 star rating with over 2,000 reviews.

Want to go simple with just a straight white noise machine (no frills), check out the Dohm-SS Single Speed Sound Conditioner. This is a great option if you need a loud sound machine or a soft one. It has a volume control for high and low but can also be adjusted using the top and side screens. It doesn't have all of the options but really, you probably will only need the basic white noise machine option. It should be noted, however, that this is an organic white noise machine. Where other machines play a pre-recorded white noise sound, this white noise is created by using a fan inside the machine. Users love it as well, with a 4.3/5 star rating on Amazon.

Another simple choice is the LectroFan White Noise Machine by Adaptive Sound Technologies. It doesn't give you as many options (no jungle sounds or running water), but it's perfect for blocking out sounds from the house. My husband and I use this one in our bedrooms and on my day off from work, I can sleep in till I wake up naturally. The kids rarely wake me up, which is such a blessing!

Why a White or Brown Noise Generator Might Help You as Well

LectroFan via Amazon

As a parent, we need sleep. Often our kids wake us up way too early (sometimes at 3 a.m. because they think that's "wake up" time. When is 3 a.m. ever a good time to wake up?). By using a white, pink or brown noise machine (whatever color you prefer, really) in your room, you may be able to avoid getting up quite so early. These machines can help block out the noise of your kids so you can get that precious extra hour of sleep before you have to get up.

We personally use the Dohm-SS Single Speed Sound Conditioner and the LectroFan, so I can personally vouch for both of them. If I had to choose, I would pick the LectroFan because it's lasted longer than the Dohm and it's compact, which is perfect for trips. Also, when I had an issue with it shortly after purchasing, they replaced it despite it being mostly my fault. Since then, it's been perfect and has lasted over 6 years, no problem! The Dohm is a very basic white noise, and lasted about seven years until finally the fan inside gave out (and since we often forgot to turn it off, it would be on all day too).

So if you're looking for a way reduce noise pollution that reaches your baby, whether traffic sounds, booming music from neighbors, construction or just your other kids having fun, consider getting a white noise machine. Do any of you use white noise machines? What kind do use? Tell me in the comments :).

Vacuums: Canister or Upright? Bagged or Bagless?

This week I'm going to be talking about vacuums, carpet cleaners and other topics related to carpet care. Today I thought I talk about what to look for in a new vacuum.

I used to own this Bosch canister vacuum

So last August, we moved from Utah to Washington so we could live closer to family. As we were getting packed up and ready, our vacuum died after 5 years of use. What bugged me the most about it dying though was the fact that it was just a part within the vacuum that no longer worked and if I could have opened it up to replace it, it probably would've lasted a few more years. But the manufacturers of the vacuum created it so there was no way to get the cover off of the head. There were no screws or anything as far as I could tell. I don't even know if I could have taken it to a certified vacuum repair shop to have it fixed because I didn't see how it could have been repaired. Typical of our throwaway society right? I hate that!

So I borrowed a friend's vacuum to get our place ready for moving and once I got settled into our new place, we decided to look for a new vacuum.

Canister or Upright?

Upright vacuum from Bissell

The first thing to consider is whether you want a canister vacuum or an upright. We really like our canister vacuum for the most part because the head was so small, it was able to get underneath furniture like the couch and beds so we didn't have to move furniture in order to clean underneath. It also makes vacuuming the stairs really easy and you were only pushing a light head back and forth instead of the entire heavy vacuum.

However, when I started researching vacuums, I discovered something about canisters. In order for them to work as well an upright, you need to have the motor that's in the body and a separate motor in the canister head. Otherwise, the head is using air to turn the rug beater and it's not going to have as much power as an upright vacuum. Because of this, the less expensive canisters are really made to work with carpets that have no pile whatsoever (which isn't very common for homes).

Obviously having two motors costs more, so in order to get a good canister vacuum that will do as good of a job as uprights, you're looking at paying $100 to $300 more than for a comparable upright. Something you'll have to consider if you decide you want an upright.

Bagged or Bagless?

Bagless upright vacuum by Panasonic

The next thing you'll have to consider when purchasing a vacuum is whether you want to go with a bagged vacuum or a bagless vacuum. Bagless vacuums seem ideal. You no longer have to pay for bags, which can be expensive. Instead just dump the dirt into the garbage when you're done vacuuming. There is a hidden cost to these bagged vacuums, though — the filters. Sometimes you don't think about the fact that many bagless vacuums have filters that have to be replaced every so often and can easily cost as much as vacuum bags.

Bagged vacuums come with bags. Many consumers try to buy off brand bags for their vacuums, but this isn't always wise. Branded bags are usually made using cotton and paper that is designed to trap particles so they don't escape when you remove the bags from the vacuum. These thick, 3-ply bags trap the dirt and dust particles so you can remove them cleanly. However, off brand bags often just use paper and have small holes in them allowing the smaller particles to escape releasing them back into the air to settle on the floor once again. If you're allergic to dust, it's especially important to buy the name brand vacuum bags.

So when it comes to vacuums, there are lots of decisions? Do you want to have a vacuum that is light and easy to push around? That's easy to clean stairs or can easily be transported upstairs and downstairs? Are you willing to put in an investment into your vacuum or would you rather pay less and go with a middle-of-the line vacuum?

Tomorrow I'll tell you which vacuum I chose and give you a review on it. In the meantime, tell me which vacuum you use. Do you love it or hate it?

Vacuums: Review of the Dyson DC40 Animal Upright Vacuum

So I'm sure you're dying to know (and I've made you wait in anticipation long enough). So what vacuum did I end up buying? I went with the Dyson DC40. Let's go over why I picked it and then I'll talk about the what I like and what I don't.

Why I Chose the Dyson DC40 Animal Upright Vacuum

Here is why I chose the DC40:

• Got it at Costco, which has a great return policy and they had it for $100 off.
• Though it's an upright, it's light and you can easily maneuver it around furniture.
• It's bagless with washable filters, so you don't have to replace either bags or filters on it. 
• You can easily take it apart to clean the rug beater (have I mentioned I have long hair?).

What I Like about the DC40 Animal Upright Vacuum

For the most part I do like this machine. Here are some of the highlights:

• To release the cord, you just flip the cord minder down and then pull it off. 
• It's really easy to dump the dust that's in the dust bin into the garbage (my one-year-old proved this by doing it himself ... all over the newly vacuumed carpet).
• The dust bin opens at the bottom, so you're not taking it and turning it upside down to dump it (which I think would cause more of a mess).
• It's light and easy to push around and get around furniture.
• It has powerful suction to really clean the carpet.
• And, as I mentioned, it's easy to take it apart to clean or to take out filters and such. 

Here's What I Don't Like about the Dyson DC40 Animal Upright Vacuum

Though it's a great vacuum, there are some things I would like to see improved:

• Though the hose has really good suction, it's also really awkward to use. Half of it is a flexible hose and half is a stiff hose, and the stiff hose just seems to long and you can't take it off to use the vacuum without it.
• The head doesn't go under the furniture. It's those days I wish I still had a canister.
• It doesn't seem to work as well on hardwood floors. OK, so I don't have hardwood floors, but I noticed a lot of reviews mention this, so I figured I'd add it to the list in case you do. I really think this vacuum was made for carpeted floors (I haven't used it for the kitchen or anything so I couldn't say).

Just the Facts:

Store: Costco
Price: $400
Date Purchased: August 2012
Rating: 4/5
Recommended: Overall, yes, but it's an expensive vacuum. It's possible there are cheaper vacuums that work as well.

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E-Reader Series: Review of Kindle Touch from Amazon

I've mentioned a couple times in the last couple weeks about how I used my downtime to read on my Kindle. As I've been using it more, things came to mind about what I like and what I don't like, so I figured I'd do a review about my Kindle Touch.

What I Like about the Kindle Touch

Let's start off with what I like about the Kindle Touch.

It's easy to use. There are certain parts of the screen that do certain things. While reading a book, you touch the top to bring up the menu, the right side to go forward and the left side to go back. You can also swipe up and down to to move to the next chapter or previous chapter. 

See definitions of words while you read.

You can bring up the dictionary to find out what a word means. Unlike a regular book where you have to physically get out the dictionary or search online to find out the definition of a word, the Touch automatically comes with a dictionary preinstalled. To find out what a word means, just press down on the word for a couple seconds and let go. The definition will pop up in a little window. Click outside of the window to go back to reading.

Battery life. Battery life on the Touch is long, like a month. No need to charge it every day or two like with tablets. 

Read one-handed. Since the Touch is about the same size as a book (it's just a little smaller than 7-inch tablets), you can hold it in one hand to read. It also fits easily into purses, so you can easily take it with you wherever you go.

Read in direct sunlight. This one was a big reason I chose the Kindle Touch over a tablet. Where tablet screens will get washed out in sunlight (such as reading at the park or on the beach), the screen on the Kindle Touch can be read in almost any light level. It's also easier on the eyes with the e-ink display.

What I Don't Like about the Kindle Touch

Though I like it overall, there are things I don't like about the Touch. 

Can't read in no light or very low light. Just like a regular book, you can't read on the Touch if you don't have much light or any light. This typically isn't a problem, but every once in awhile it can be. This is what Paperwhite tries to eliminate. It's supposed to work in any light level from direct sunlight to no light. Of course it wasn't around when I got my Touch, or I'm sure I would have gotten it.

Not very responsive. When you're reading a book and turning from one page to the next, it works great. However, trying to get to the home screen and searching around for books, it takes quite a lot of time to think about what it wants to do. This can get annoying if you're trying to organize your book collection or are browsing around trying to decide what to read. Luckily, it doesn't affect use of the Kindle too much.

List of books. No book covers.

Not high def screen. When you use the Kindle app on your tablet or smartphone and are browsing through your library, you see these beautiful book covers that help you find something you're looking for and help you decide what to read. On the Touch, all you see are book titles, which isn't always helpful in trying to find stuff. Obviously, the Touch can't give you beautiful color pictures, but if it had a faster processor, it could probably give you at least gray scale pictures of the books, which still might help you figure out what you want to read. You pretty much have to know what you're looking for or go onto your computer or other device to find what to read and then get it on your device. 

It only comes with a charger cable that connects to your computer. This isn't huge deal because you can charge it, but if you've ever had a tablet, smartphone or other device, you know that it will charge a lot faster if it has a wall charger. You can a wall charger for your Kindle but it will cost extra ($20). 

Operating system. I am not happy with the operating system on the Kindle at all. Besides being really slow, it's really kludgy. For example, sometimes I'll be searching for a book and will search for the title. It will bring up a search results that shows all the books with those words, including the book I want. So I tap on the title, but instead of taking me to the book, it just takes me to where in the book those words are found and I have to fumble around trying to find the beginning of the book.

So am I happy with my Kindle? Would I choose it again if I did it all over again? Tune in tomorrow for a continuation of As the Kindle Turns ... I mean the continuation of my e-reader series ;).

5 Favorite Things of the Week - 3/22/13

I know you're all dying in anticipation of what my favorite things are this week, right? ... *crickets chirping* ... *crickets chirping* ... Well, settle down because I will now reveal to you what made me happy this week. :D 

Scramble with Friends

1. Amazon Kindle. I mentioned on Monday that I've been sick. I thought I was almost over it on Sunday, but apparently it's decided to linger. So all last weekend I spent reading books on my Kindle and it's made me very happy. No need to drive to the bookstore or library (especially awesome when you're feeling sick). What's my favorite genre? I admit that it's YA fantasy. Can't get enough of it.
2. Scramble with Friends. Another fun thing that I've been doing with my downtime is playing Scramble with Friends. It's a variation of the game Boggle where the tiles have point values like in Scrabble. There are three rounds of play and in the second round, there are double word and double letter values for some letters and in the third round there are triple word and triple letter values. You can play with friend or random players through Smart Match (so hopefully you don't play people who are amazing. If you want to know what amazing is, search on YouTube. It's crazy).
3. Tax Returns. This week our tax return was deposited into our bank account. I turned it in two weeks ago. How cool is it that we can do our taxes online and then have it deposited directly into our accounts two weeks later. Plus it's nice to have that cushion so I can pay bills without worrying about whether there's enough in there. Yay for tax returns :D.
4. Nasal strips. Since I've been sick, and stuffed up, it's harder to breathe at night (which makes it harder to sleep. To help with that, I've been using these Nasal Strips by Clear Passage. I think that they do a good job and help open your nose so you can breathe easier. Plus these are cheaper than a lot of ones I've seen. I don't use them all the time; just when I'm sick (or if my husband complains that I'm snoring).
   


5. My Wedding Anniversary. Today I've been married 11 years! It's crazy how fast time goes by and how things have changed in 11 years. When we got married, we got a digital camera as a gift and it was the hot new thing. Everyone who took pictures at the wedding used film. Also, I don't even think that phones had cameras back then (or at least not that common) let alone anything like the smartphones we use today. If things can change that much in 11 years, it makes me wonder what will happen in the next 11.

So that's my list of favorite things this week. What did you like about this week? I'd love to hear about it!

Review: Vitamix Blender

Via ElissaGoodman.com

So I'm a bit of a smoothie enthusiast. I love just sticking stuff in a blender and ending up with a delicious drink that is yummy and full of good things for you.

So back probably 6 years ago or so, I was frustrated. I would put things in my blender (can't remember what type now but it was one of those $50 blenders you buy at super marts) and if they were too frozen, they wouldn't blend. I would actually have to thaw them out in the microwave in order to make the smoothie and there was no way I could have ice in there, and what was the point of the smoothie if it wasn't cold?

Enter the Vitamix blender. Best thing ever to happen to smoothies.

Where Did I Buy It?

I bought my Vitamix from Costco because they would have someone come to our neighborhood Costco every couple months to demonstrate them. They were cheaper than anywhere else and came with a 7-year warranty. Still, all-in-all, it came to a whopping $400 (after I believe a $100 discount)! Wow! Yeah, I was that desperate for a blender THAT ACTUALLY WORKED.

So now that I've owned it for a couple of years, what do I think? I LOVE IT! Yeah, it's true that it's expensive, and I don't know if it's worth the cost or if there are cheaper blenders that work as well, but I do love knowing I can put whatever in there and it will be smooth at the end. Oh, also, it's so much cheaper than buying a smoothie at Jamba Juice et al (and hey, you don't have to change out of your pajamas to do it!).

But Does It Do More Than Make Smoothies?

As for the other things that it can supposedly do, like make soups and chop up vegetables, I'm not sold. I've tried chopping up onions and green peppers in it and

Review of Aerobed - Queen

Via MySentimentExactLee.com

So we bought an Aerobed a few years back from Costco. It's been great because we don't have a large home, certainly not one big enough to have a guest bedroom, and so when we've had family come visit, it's been great to pull it out and use it.

Here's my take on the Aerobed: It's great but don't expect it to last forever.

Basically what I mean is this is a nice bed that is comfortable and convenient. When I was pregnant (both times), I ended up not being able to sleep with my husband. First of all, he's a light sleeper and with me getting up two times a night to pee, it was not ideal (it often takes him an hour or more to get back to sleep if he's woken up in the night). Two, I had the WORST lower back pain whenever I'd try to sleep in our bed, but on the air mattress, I could fill it up fuller so it gave more support and either no back pain or a lot less back pain (just another reason why I think a SleepNumber bed would be great, though I don't have any personal experience with that).

Basically, I don't know how I would have gotten through my pregnancies without the Aerobed. It was a lifesaver.

Still, since we got our first one, about five years ago, we've had to replace it twice because eventually it starts losing air. You can get kits or figure out how to patch it if you want, but considering the cost (each was between $100 and $130 at Costco) and the fact that each lasted a couple years (we've only had our most recent one for a year or so now) and the fact that I used it for months on end (I think I used it for 7 months of the 9 for my second pregnancy with MW), I would say that it's worth the cost.

Just the Facts

Store: Costco

Price: $130

Date Purchased: April 2012

Rating: 4/5

For what it is and how comfortable it is, it's totally worth the cost. It's easy to set up and take down and store. If you need a guest bed that will be comfortable but not in the way, an Aerobed is the way to go.

Review of Pampers Bibsters

I don't know if you've heard of Pampers Bibsters before, but these are disposable bibs that were created by the Pampers company. To be honest, when I first saw this product, I thought it was a waste of money. Who would use a disposable bib? That was until I was planning a road trip. The thought of having to wash the plastic bibs we typically use after every meal and then find a place to let them dry was impossible.

Then I remembered the Bibsters. I already like Pampers diapers (except the Baby Dry diapers, which I've mentioned), so I figured they would be good quality, and I really liked the idea of using these bibs for meals and then just throwing them away. When you're on the road and just need something to keep your kid relatively clean, I figured they would work.

I got mine at Walmart and it was $6 for 32 of them, which puts them at almost $0.19 each. A little spendy if you're using 5 of them a day on a regular basis, but not bad when you just need them for a few days. I bought the ones with bibs because to be honest, I didn't know they had ones without, and I didn't see any other ones at Walmart.

Let me tell you, they were great. Just what we needed. At one of the restaurants, I was letting Alex drink some water out of a cup, and he proceeded to dump it all over him (he doesn't seem to mind being all wet, so he does this all too often, which is why he often drinks from sippy cups). Considering the bib got soaked, it did a pretty good job at keeping Alex's shirt dry underneath. It also had a little pocket in front to catch food.

Overall, I would recommend these bibs for traveling or when you're eating out and having a regular bib is inconvenient. I'll definitely be adding a few of these bibs to the diaper bag for future use (and I wish I'd done it sooner. You don't know how often I've taken Alex to a restaurant or a relative's house for dinner and realized I had nothing to put on him while he ate).

Just the Facts

Store: Walmart
Regular Price: $6.00 (for 32 bibs)
Date Purchased: November 2009
Rating: 4.5/5

Great for when you're on the road or eating out. Really good protection and fits conveniently in your diaper bag.

Review of Graco Pack n Play Underwood Safari

When I was a kid and we'd go to visit our grandparents, I remember this unusual contraption in one of the guest bedrooms (which used to be my mom's room growing up). When I got older, I learned that it was a crib that my grandpa had built that was attached to the wall and pulled out when it needed to be used. Being the youngest, I never saw it used (except maybe by my cousins when I was little). It was a wonderful thing for our parents, so they didn't have to worry about where their babies and toddlers would sleep. And just like all things that my grandpa built, it was very sturdy and safe.

Disney's Winnie the Pooh Toddler Costume

Along with the Alice in Wonderland costume, I bought a Winnie the Pooh costume for my son, who is 20 months old. I love Winnie the Pooh. My son has a whole bunch of Winnie the Pooh plush toys, a Winnie the Pooh mobile, Winnie the Pooh sheets, Winnie the Pooh blankets, etc. I love all the characters. And of course once Alex is older, he won't want to wear Winnie the Pooh, I'm sure, so I took the chance while I had it. Plus, the costume was on sale for only $15. What a deal.

What I liked about the costume is it was so soft. As you can see in the picture, it has this big round belly in front which is so cute. We had a little trouble getting the hood to fit so the strap was under Alex's chin, but for the most part it was really cute on and I didn't have much complaints.

Disney's Alice in Wonderland Costume

I'm not shy about the fact that I love Disney. Sure, I don't love everything about it, but there are a lot of good things. For one, I know that I can let my son watch Playhouse Disney without worrying about what he'll see and without commercials about all the latest toys or sugary cereals. And although I'm approaching 30 (only 13 more months!), I still enjoy watching the Disney Channel shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, and Jonas. They're just good clean fun and the writers must be awesome because the jokes and comedy on them are so good and multifaceted.

So it shouldn't surprise you that I decided to check out DisneyStore.com when looking for a Halloween costume. The idea of being a Disney princess or other Disney character sounded fun, and since the only other costume I really have is a Hermione Granger costume I put together (and have worn for the last two years), I figured it would be nice to expand my costume collection a little.

Review: Wordpress vs. Blogspot

When I decided to start this blog, I had to consider which blogging platform I would use to express my opinions. I have been blogging since 2005, so I'm not totally unfamiliar with blogging, but each platform has its own advantages and disadvantages. So far, I've used LiveJournal, WordPress, and now Blogspot. I first used LiveJournal because I had friends who used it and it was easy to add them as friends. Honestly, though, I don't feel it's the best program out there for blogging, so it's out of the race in my opinion. A few months ago, I heard about WordPress and was really excited with the prospect of using a new, more robust blogging platform. Since then, I have a better idea of what I like about WordPress and where I could see improvements.

And in the last couple of weeks, I've learned the joys and troubles of Blogspot, so I thought I would take a minute and talk about what is good and bad about each and why you might choose one or the other depending on what you want to use it for.

Review of Origins Microfiber Tablecloth

When my husband and I got married, we were in college and had nothing. For awhile, we lived in furnished apartments, and even when we moved to an unfurnished apartment, we couldn't afford furniture. All we had was a bed and a couple small bookcases.

My mother-in-law was ready to upgrade her furniture, which she had had for 20 years, and offered to give us her old furniture, which included a dining table, dresser, and chest of drawers. As you might imagine, the dining table was showing wear, and the leaves that went with the table were all different colors depending on the wear they had received.