Brica Review and Giveaway

When I was pregnant with Emma, I spent a lot of time thinking about the baby gear items I wished I’d had with Joshua, or about which items I wanted to change. Or use for the first time. Or just about what items would make my life easier now that I was venturing into a world with two kids.

And then one day there was an email from Brica in my inbox asking me if I wanted to give a few of their baby items a go.

Of course I did.

The box arrived about a week before Emma did. So many of the baby things we have for her were Joshua’s first that it was fun to open up the new items that were just for her.

The first thing in the box of goodies?

The Brica Phone Pod, which Joshua was certain was just for him. (No, kid. Not everything is yours, darling first born.) But the Phone Pod is pretty handy for toddlers/preschoolers/big kids. Joshua loves to watch videos on the iPhone. And he’s ridiculously fond of Angry Birds. But he’s also fond of the free sprinkle cookie at the grocery store. And cookies make his hands sticky.

The solution? The phone pod, of course. The vice-like grip on the back of the pod adjusts to almost any surface and holds the phone so your little one can see and play with the phone without touching it and getting it all gross. (Unless they sneeze cookie all over the phone. Not that I know from experience. Ahem. )

It’s not just good for kids, though. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m pretty paper-free at the grocery store. My list is in my head, my email, or in a note on my iPhone. But I can’t carry my iPhone AND pick up groceries and the constant pick-up-put-down of the phone slows down the grocery trip. So? Attach the phone pod to the grocery cart and there you go. The list! At your finger tips!

Most recently, the phone pod has been exceptionally useful when Emma’s in her swing. The swing has a white noise feature, but the white noise on the swing only stays on for about 15 minutes. And 15 minutes isn’t long enough. And white noise is a great cover for her noisy older brother. So? I clamp the phone pod to the swing’s arm and fire up the white noise album on my iPod and boom! Instant white noise to help the baby nap.

This album is awesome. Natural White Noise for Babies on iTunes. Go get it.

Brica also sent me a Day & Night Light Musical Auto Mirror.

When you have a baby rear-facing in your car, nothing saves your life quite like a mirror. We had a different mirror with Joshua and it was one of the items I knew I wanted to replace. This one is awesome. The mirror is contoured, but it’s not that weird plastic-y mirror that makes your kid look like he/she is in a Fun House. The picture I see of Emma in my rear view mirror is clear. For a while there, it was always an image of her screaming her baby face off, but it was a clear image.

Now that she’s getting a little older and bigger, this is more than just a mirror. The mirror plays music! And it lights up! And both are activated by remote control!

Twice this week, I’ve been out driving at night. Twice this week, the music from the mirror has calmed her down. The light has made her feel less lonely in the back seat. Basically, I’ve had two car rides (in horrific downpours) where Emma hasn’t screamed at me.

SCORE!

Screaming=bad. Not screaming=good.

The other car-ride game changer has been the Stretch-to-fit Sun Shade.

I was…stupid? with Joshua. He screamed his baby lungs out for four months in the car and I never bought a sun shade. Why? I have no idea. He was in the middle of the back seat and I never thought it would work because I was convinced that nothing would work and he’d just scream. But we noticed that the sun was definitely in Emma’s face and she screamed louder when it was.

One day I was in the baby section of Target (because every trip to Target means a trip through the baby section) and I saw the Brica sun shades. After looking at all of them, I tossed the stretch-to-fit into the cart and installed it in the parking lot. And she didn’t scream the whole way home.  Since installing the shade, her car trips have gotten less screamy. Which means a happier mama. I love the stretch-to-fit because the back windows in our vehicle are kind of large. This one covers almost the whole thing! It’s seriously awesome and, in my opinion, the best shade on the market.

No more sun in her eyes means no more screams in my ears.

The final item Brica sent me was the Infant Comfort Canopy. I was so excited for this! I had visions of taking Joshua to the park and Emma chilling out in the car seat under a canopy that blocked both UVA and UVB rays and bugs and gross and random creepy people in the store who feel the need to touch ALL THE BABIES! from my new baby’s delicate skin. (Seriously. Don’t be a creeper and touch random babies.)

And then she shared a hatred of the car seat with her brother and decided to just scream in my face the whole time she’s in there and I haven’t been able to use it. But? She’s getting better with the car seat and I think this is going to be awesome at the beach this fall. (To see the Comfort Canopy in action, check out the cutie Charlie Sluiter rocking it in May.)

I truly, honestly, cannot say enough good things about the Brica products I was sent and the ones I’ve purchased with my own moneys. They’re sturdy and affordable and portable and really useful! Joshua’s car seat doesn’t have a cup holder and we’re going on a trip. So he’s getting the Deluxe Snack Pod before we go. I feel like Brica thought of everything.

Because Brica is so awesome, they’re giving away a Prize Pack containing an Infant Comfort Canopy, a Day & Night Light Musical Mirror, and a Phone Pod to one lucky reader! This prize pack is valued at $65!! That’s a whole lot of baby gear for you or the expecting parent in your life!

Use the Rafflecopter widget to enter! The winner will be chosen next Wednesday, July 18th. Go forth and win the stuffs, y’all!

Brica sent me an infant canopy, a mirror, and a phone pod for review. They did not send me my opinion on these products. I bought the sun shade with my own money. And no amount of money could buy my opinion anyway. Unless it was enough to pay off my student loans and then we’d talk.

a Rafflecopter giveaway