Product Review: Sunshine Kids RadianXTSL Convertible Car Seat

RadianXTSL is a convertible car seat for rear-facing children 5 - 45 lbs and forward-facing children 20-80 lbs in a 5-point harness. NCAP crash tested makes it the strongest car seat in the world.

Sunshine Kids RadianXTSL Convertible Car Seat - Petal

Save up... It's worth it!

5out of 5

Pros: Sturdy, Easy to Adjust, Easy to install, Comfortable, Stylish, Safe
Cons: heavy but SAFE
Best Uses: Newborn, Toddlers, Infants
Describe Yourself: First Time Parent, Birth Doula

This car seat has been better than I even hoped it would be. I had read reviews about children that hated their infant car seats but love this one. I thought they were exaggerating, but my daughter does it too. She squeals with delight whenever I got to buckle her in, she even tries to help fasten it.

Okay, now to what really matters: SAFETY! This car seat is solidly constructed and has amazing stats. Sunshine Kids has a youtube channel that shows their NCAP testing, which is much higher than the industry standard that most car seats use. (As a side note: they also have helpful videos about installation and properly fitting it on your child.) It is also rear-facing up to 45 pound which should easily meet the current AAP recommendation that all children under 2 should rear-face.

We have a Buick Rendezvous and we could easily fit 3 in the backseat. I've heard people say that it didn't fit in their smaller cars, but as long as you can get the proper 45 degree angle the NTSB says a car seat can touch the front seats and be effective (as of 2011). When we have baby #2, I'll probably buy this seat outright and skip the infant seat. Time will tell.

Sunshine Kids strives to use ecologically-friendly materials and production methods and is chemical-free.

All this being said, the best car seat for your child is a car seat that fits in your car and your child and that you'll both enjoy using.

(legalese)

Got Cloth?

     As previously mentioned, in an effort to be more eco-friendly one of the changes I decided to attempt was adding cloth diapering to our daily routine.

     It's been a week since I ordered my PUL and prefolds and today it arrived.  While I was researching how to launder them for the first (and subsequent) times I stumbled upon a "Flats and Handwashing Challenge."  It begins May 23 - May 30.  Maybe I'm crazy being a cloth diapering novice, but I'm up to the challenge--even if it means no one shares diapering duty with me, though I hope I can get my family on board.

Here's how it works:

• You MUST use Flats.
• You MUST handwash them.  How is up to you.  (bathtub, sink, large wash tub, portable non electronic washing machine, or camp style washer (bucket and plunger- think churning butter)
• You MUST air dry them.  (indoors or outdoors, makes no difference)
• You MUST limit your number of covers in rotation to 5 or less.
• You can use any detergent you want.  (Keep in mind that you still want cloth safe detergents)
• You can still use your nighttime diapers but I ask that you try to make flats work.  Maybe try a prefold wrapped in a flat.
• You can use disposable liners.
• You CAN’T use a diaper sprayer.  I thought long and hard about this one, but at an average cost of 40.00 this is one diaper accessory that is out of range for many families.  Dunk, swish, flush, or scrape!
• You MUST start the morning of May 23 and end the evening of May 30.
• You MUST fill out a completion survey about your experience.  Results will be published here and can be republished on your own blog.

   So there you have it!  My simple plan to try cloth (see below) has taken on a new mission.  Between now and May 23, I shall try my hand at the endeavor below, but come May 23 it's full-steam ahead into this challenge.  If you are interested in taking this challenge yourself, pop on over to "The Flats and Handwashing Challenge" and fill out the form they have available.

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Challenge aside, back to where this all started--trying modern cloth for the first time. 

I decided to try the Sprout Change 1-size fits all (in Sweet Pea for those of you wondering.)  I also ordered 6 prefolds in organic hemp with a microfiber top layer.

 

     Here's the plan:

• Start out using only cloth on days I have Juliet by myself. 
• I can still use disposables for naptime until I've met the learning curve
• Eventually expand to using only cloth for the 3 days my husband and I watch our daughter (I don't feel like I can make my mother-in-law, who generously watches her while we work, participate.)

     I plan to give a full report and review of this product and am eager to see what I come up with.  I'll keep you posted.

Eat, Drink and Be Healthy

     For some time now, in an effort to save money and eat more healthfully, my husband and I have changed our "take-out ways" and have been cooking much more at home.  This is timely because our daughter is phasing out baby food and we're being forced to prepare healthy options instead of junk with filler.

     Shortly before I began 'Through Counting to 10' I discovered blogs.  Yes, I knew of there existence, but never paid any attention to them until recently.  Food blogs are among my favorites.  Many of my favorite recipes are from bloggers who, like me, are busy moms trying to cook nutritious meals for their families while juggling work, babies and managing a household--all on a budget (because, let's face it--everyone is on a budget these days.)

   In addition to looking for ways to save money and eat more healthfully, this endeavor is another way my family can try to live in a more eco-friendly/sustainable way.  We try to buy local and organic whenever we can--not always easy to do on a budget--but it's worth making the effort. (Side note:  It's always frustrating to me that, living in Florida, citrus is hard to find that's locally grown.  Every store in my area carries California citrus.  I asked one of the produce managers why local-grown oranges and the like weren't available--he said he really didn't know but that was a really good question.  He truly did seem puzzled, not patronizing or annoyed.)

     So far we've had lots of luck cooking a variety of yummy, healthy food.  We have been less than lucky saving money.  We're having a hard time using our produce before it goes bad, thus we are wasting food and money.

     Still, I encourage all of you to join me in this challenge.  Eat, drink and be healthy (and maybe save money and the world.)  Bon appetit!

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If you are interested in checking out my favorite food blogs, check out my blog roll for that and other great resources.

Trying to be More Eco-Friendly: My Brief Game Plan

     I've been thinking of ways to more environmentally friendly and live up to the manta reduce, reuse, recycle.

     My husband I are already avid recyclers and buy the most eco-friendly products we can.  Still, I feel like we can do more.

Here's a short list of practices I hope to incorporate into our daily lives:

• Stop using paper plates and plastic ware (this may mean bringing our own reusable stuff with us when we go somewhere people plan to use disposables)
• Switch from paper towels to dish rags/cloth napkins (I really love paper towels so this will be a biggie!)
• Install a clothesline and take advantage of the Florida sunshine (rainy season aside)

     I hope that, whenever we have another baby, we'll be able to use cloth diapers.  I feel SO guilty every time we empty the diaper pail and I see all of those diapers containing chemicals, plastic and poo. I just don't think I could talk Mike into switching our daughter over now.  I have, however, thought about buying her 1 cloth diaper and some pre-folds to use on the day I have her and he's at work.  It may not be much, but it's something!

     TMI Alert:  On a much more personal note, I've been looking into reusable feminine care items.  I recently purchased a cloth pantyliner to try out and bought a Diva Cup (reusable menstrual cup).  I am optimistic and hope they work out well.  My only fear about the Diva Cup is that I'll have problems because of my IUD.  I think if I'm really careful, I should be fine.