LilSugar

The Readers Have Spoken: Your Favorite Products, Names, and More of 2011

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:47:19 PST

If there's one things moms like to do, it's share information. We have our favorite car seat, stroller, toys, and more, and we're not afraid to tell everyone about them. Over the past month, we asked you to vote on your favorite things from 2011 - everything from the top push chair and celebrity baby name to the celeb mom you most like to follow on Twitter - and you weren't afraid to speak your minds. We now present you with the winners - LilSugar readers' choices for the best of 2011! Check them out!

Best of 2011: What Was Your Favorite Car Seat?

Kate Stahl — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:18:38 PST

This year brought a new recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics to keep lil ones facing the rear until they are 2 years old or they reach the height and weight guidelines on the seat. New (and seemingly always-changing) rules aside, your car seat is one of those major baby purchases that all parents stress about. Is it safe enough? Comfy enough? And let's face it, cool enough? Luckily, 2011 has brought some awesome car seats, both safe and sleek-looking! So what was your fave of 2011? Pick one of the options below or leave us a comment with your favorite.

Source: Britax, Maxi-Cosi, and Graco

Jazz Up Your Ride: 5 Accessories For the Family Car

LilSugar — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 05:12:24 PDT

Let's take a drive! With all of the activities kids have going on, the family car becomes like a second home. Mama spends hours a day shuffling the tots around from one extracurricular activity to the next - and searching for lost toys in between the seats! From tiny kicks on the back of your seat to junior screaming desperately for his sippy, driving with kids can be stressful. Make your car-pool drives a little more pleasant with the help of these five car accessories.

Sunshine Kids Stow 'N Go Car Seatback Organizer ($10): Sippy cups, toys, and sunglasses! Oh my! A seat back organizer keeps all of your tot's backseat belongings tidy and visible.
Kurgo Auto Tray Table ($20): Enjoy a meal, watch a movie, or play with your LEGOS! Your tots can engage in all sorts of activities while mom is driving if they have a tray table at their disposal.
Prince Lionheart Two Stage Car Seat Protection ($22): Car seats can leave depression damage and scuff marks on the backseat of your car - especially if you have leather seats! Protect them with a durable car seat cover.
SafeFit Kick Mats ($9): Kick away! Protect the back of your seat from dirty shoes with kick mats - it'll cost a lot less than having to get your car seats shampooed.
Sunshine Kids Travel Pal ($14): Road trip! Let the kids bring what they want and keep it all organized - and within reach - with a travel pal. It even has special compartments for baby's bottle or your tot's sippy!

Buckle Up! 7 Must-Have Car Seat Accessories

LilSugar — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:13:25 PDT

Buckle up, baby! Car trips with a kiddo can be quite pleasant - or sheer torture - depending on how well prepared mama is for the venture. From keeping baby entertained to protecting your little one from the elements, we've rounded up seven must-have car seat accessories to make mama's outings as stress-free as possible! Check it out.

How Much Do You Know About Car Safety?

LilSugar — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:35:26 PDT

One more good reason to send the kids to grandma's for the weekend! A study published in Pediatrics found that kids are actually safer in crashes when driven by grandparents than when driven by their parents. And not just a little bit safer - taking risk factors like proper seat belt use and type of car into account, the study concluded that there's a 50 percent reduction in injury risk with grandparent drivers.

Busy parents spend an awful amount of time in the car. How much do you know about carting your kids around safely?

Take the Quiz

The Inflatable Easy Car Seat: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:31:41 PDT

Mobile mamas know that moving a car seat from one vehicle to another is no easy feat. They're heavy, they're difficult to install, and they don't always fit in their allotted space. So it would seem logical that a company would create a version made for families on the move.

The Easy Car Seat ($92) is an inflatable version of the traditional forward-facing safety seat. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, the 1.5-pound booster "fully complies with EU and USA Vehicle Safety Standards." While I can see how carpooling mothers and grandparents would love the convenience of such a compact seat, I don't know if I could get past its raft-like design. What do you think?

Doctors Recommend Rear-Facing Car Seats Until Tots Are 2; Test Your Knowledge

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:30:39 PDT

For many parents, a tot's first birthday is not only cause for a party, but it is the milestone they use to switch their baby from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing one. Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics is revising their long-held recommendations and advising parents to keep their lil ones facing back until they turn 2-years-old, or they reach the height and weight guidelines on the seat.

Car safety recommendations have evolved significantly over the years. Take this quiz to see how much you really know about them.

Take the Quiz

Buckle Up and Take This Car Seat Safety Quiz!

babysugar — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:00:00 PDT

Before you strap your lil ones into their seats, make sure they are properly installed? It's Child Passenger Safety Week and Safe Kids USA is offering more than 400 car seat checkup events across the country. Take this quiz and see what you know about motor vehicle safety.

Take the Quiz

CHP's Car Safety Tips For Weekend Family Road Warriors

babysugar — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:00:25 PDT

Nothing says Labor Day like a car full of loved ones headed for an end of Summer getaway or celebration. Before you brave the road with your precious cargo, check out these little-known safety tips! I spoke with Becky Michalkiewicz, the statewide child safety seat coordinator of the California Highway Patrol, who offered up this expert advice.

Watch out for anything in your car that's loose, like toys. "It is important to make sure the environment of your car is the safest possible," says Michalkiewicz. "Make sure there is nothing that isn't strapped down because that becomes a projectile" in an accident.
Don't clip items on your car seat, even something like a toy mobile. Attaching items that didn't come with your car seat voids the manufacturer's liability if you are in an accident and the car seat malfunctions.
It may sound simple, but make sure you know how a car seat looks and sounds when it is installed correctly. Michalkiewicz said the CHP commonly sees car seats that are not attached at all.

If you need help, contact your local highway patrol. The CHP, for example, will schedule an appointment with a trained technician to check your car seat and how it fits your child.

Lil Community: Choosing a Car Seat

babysugar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:00:55 PDT

It's registry time! LilSugar reader Beaner is approaching her due date and is picking out all of her baby gear. As she selects a car seat, she asks our readers for some help in The Pregnancy Posse group.

I'm completely confused about what size car seat to get. Friends and family have recommended the Graco Snugride, and they make one that holds a baby up to 22 pounds and 29 inches tall. But they also have one that goes up to size 32 pounds and 32 inches tall. The first one is a bit cheaper, but will a baby outgrow it before they are one year old, when it's time to move up to a new car seat? The main reason I'm tempted to stick with the 22-pound car seat is because a friend gave us some extra bases, so that would save us some dough. But if our baby will outgrow it at 6 months (I heard some can), and we'll have to end up buying the 32-pound car seat, then that would not be saving us money. Any advice?

Want to talk pregnancy with other expectant mamas? Get the conversation started in The Pregnancy Posse group!