Boon SNUG Spout

Sometime in the recent past, we made the jump from sippy cups to 'big kid' cups with both Truman and Cecelia. This means that the chances of cleaning up a gigantic mess of milk at the table are about 100% for each meal, but I figured it was time to push them towards independence and all of the clean-up that entails.

But that still leaves sweet Porter drinking (safely) from a sippy cup, so when a Boon representative contacted me to review these sweet new lids, I said, 'YES.' Because I'm a little obsessed with Boon products in general with their sleek aesthetics and awesomely bright colors. And also because we have more straggler cups that are missing lids in this house than we have lonely tupperware containers. Which is saying a LOT because our tupperware storage situation is seriously maddening.

(pretty new lids = not maddening)






The Boon SNUG Spout is a universal silicone lid that can slip over any cup you have, instantly converting the most forgotten cup into a fun new sippy cup. It works with any cup that is 2.5" to 3.75" which basically means all of our eleventy hundred cups in the 'kids cabinet'. The lids are dishwasher safe and are really easy to rinse off under the faucet, which is key. Because, seriously, Porter has to be one of the messiest eaters and drinkers ever, as evident by the fact that his Boon lid was completely smeared with random food after two seconds of use.





I wasn't sure if it would be easy to pull the flexible lids onto various cups, but once they arrived Cecelia and I gave them a try right away. You definitely have to pay attention while you are stretching the lid down over the cup but it's not difficult or anything. I found that sometimes air will get trapped under the lids and it will make the sippy spout tilt inward, but it's an easy fix to pull it back out (and apparently they still work correctly even if tilted a bit). They really did fit over nearly every one of our loner cups that I found, especially the ridiculous amount of 'Take-n-Toss' cups that we have acquired over the years. Since Cecelia is completely obsessed with sippy cups, I was curious if she would approve of these. And she definitely does! No surprise, she requests the pink or purple lid.







Porter does not care (although he can now say 'orange' and it's the cutest), and he was enthralled with touching every single one of the cups I photographed. And he gladly tested the most important part of a sippy cup: does it spill or leak? I found that it does NOT leak in my highly objective data testing. Score!









So I'm a fan (and more importantly, the kids are fans) of these lids. You can find them at Target stores or Target.com online, and if you are looking for a way to make those random cups without lids work for their money, here you go!

(Looks nice on my Boon Grass, too!)

Stride Rite's Sneaker + Boot (Snoot)

It's a balmy three degrees here as I write this, with snow covering the ground, and bitter windchills that boast sub-zero horribleness. And yet, my children are Wisconsin kids through and through, hardly minding the awful winter months, always wanting to play outside (possibly just to get the hot cocoa we almost always have after a stint outdoors).

So it's safe to say we are experiencing 'winter boot weather' around these parts. When a representative from Stride Rite contacted me to see if I'd like to review a new pair of winter boots that are also like sneakers (hence the 'snoot' descriptor), I said ABSOLUTELY. My biggest guy, Truman, was wearing snow boots that were easily 2 sizes too small for him at the beginning of winter, so I knew he would be the chosen child for these new boots.



Let me tell you a bit about these boots, in my own words. They come in baby sizes and go up through 'preschool sizes', maxing out at size 13.5. Truman can wear a 13.5 through a 1.5 so I got the largest size and it fits him really well. You can also select a standard width or a wider version, which is a nice option to have. I selected the cobalt color and really am so pleased with this boot, plus they are machine washable so when they get filthy from constant use I can try to revive them the 'real' way.





They are calling it a Made2Play Sneaker Boot, and Truman will wear these to school every single day in the winter. They also pack their tennis shoes and change out of their boots when in the classroom, but then for recess they put on their snow pants and boots (along with a million other winter gear items) and play outside in the snow. Ah, Wisconsin kids, you are so much heartier than my upbringing in Missouri!

Anyway, the boots are really neat because they have two separate straps at the base of the foot and also at the top of the boot. So snow pants or regular pants easily fit inside of the boot to keep the sneaky snow off socks---a constant battle with other kids boots in the winter. You can also roll the top part of the boot down and fold it over to make it more like a sneaker, and the sole does seem pretty low profile and not super clunky like a boot. Folding down the flexible top also means you can pack these into smaller spaces (i.e. a backpack) easier, which is always a big plus in my book.





It's water resistant and really warm, lined with a fleece material that Truman seems to enjoy. Because they are insulated they are certainly much warmer than a puny little snow boot, which is probably our number one priority in shoe choice this time of year--score one for a warm, water resistant boot.

Here is a cute little video Stride Rite made showing the snoot:


Truman happily wears these nearly non-stop right now and so far we haven't had any wet sock incidents, even when sledding and making snow angels and climbing on top of giant snow piles at school. I would show you a few pictures of our fun in the snow but the day I snapped these pictures it was less than zero degrees outside, so no. But actually, Truman is wearing his snow boots in this authentic 'snow experience' video of him sledding down the hill, so there you go. Boots in action, and we approve of their warmth and comfort!



If Cecelia didn't already get a new pair of snow boots, I'd buy her a pair, too. And sweet Porter just doesn't fully embrace playing outside in frigid temps just yet, so I think I can get by on the crappy hand-me-downs he wears for a bit longer.