Convertible car seats...?

baby carrier backpack sale image

Rene

I have twin boys that turning 1 in a couple of weeks. They spend a significant amount of time in 3 different cars (mine, my husbands, and grandparents...they babysit). Which means that we need SIX car seats. At their cheapest they are $45. Multiply that by six and it gets expensive. Is anyone aware of any company that gives discounts to parents of multiples or know of any company that sells them cheaper? Any help would be much appreciated.

Answer
Whoa! Well, you are right on wanting seats for each vehicle they are in frequently. The more often a car seat is uninstalled/reinstalled, the more likely it will be installed incorrectly as we rush to get it in and out. So it is a need. Babies R Us has a multiples discount, but you do have to buy them all at the same time. From their website: "BABIES "R" US MULTIPLE BIRTH DISCOUNT

Does Babies "R" Us offer a multiple birth discount? We are pleased to inform you of our multiple birth discount. Babies "R" Us defines a multiple birth as parents with two or more babies the same age. We offer our customers 10% off two or more of the same items purchased in the same order (e.g. two cribs, two bedding sets, two strollers, etc.). The discount can not be combined with any other offers, including sale priced items, and applies to the following categories only: furniture, bedding sets and baby gear, including car seats, strollers, travel yards, highchairs, swings, gates, exersaucers/walkers and backpack/carriers. Double strollers and matching infant car seats are also eligible for the multiple birth discount. This offer is not available on any special purchase items. Corporate sales do not qualify for the multiple birth discount. "

The cheapest seat you are referring to is the Cosco Scenera, and its actually not a bad seat. Not hard to install, easy to use, and rear faces to 35lbs (more on why that's so great later!) The bad part is, you get what you pay for. It only forward faces to 40lbs and the average child will outgrow it at 2-3 years old which means at that time you'll be out shopping for 2 new harnessed seats again, b/c 2-3 year olds can not be put in booster seats. If you're ok with that, I'd suggest getting a couple of these for some of the cars. They'd last long enough that you can work towards saving for the harnessed seats they're going to need when they outgrow them.

As for the least expensive in convertible seats that you will get your money's worth out of and really like, here's the pick of the litter:
When shopping Remember these rules:
1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you're more likely to use it correctly.
2)children need to stay rear facing as long as possible.
Turning kids forward at 20lbs/1year is an outdated practice that could cost you your child's life!
A)A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 5 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age.
B)A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.
C)Current research suggests that children under the age of two years are 75 percent less likely to die or be seriously injured when they are riding rear facing.
D)In a recent article from Injury Prevention, it was found that the odds of severe injury to forward facing children age 12-23 months old was 5.32 times higher than a rear facing child. (Car Safety Seats For Children: Rear Facing For Best Protection; Injury Prevention 2007; 13:398-402.)
3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can't sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs. My son just turned 3, and is in the 95th% for height and weight - 40" tall and weighs 41lbs. He outgrew the 40lbs seats shortly after his 2nd birthday. It was a total waste of money. He now has a Britax Marathon, which goes to 65lbs, and will be able to fit it for some time yet. If I'd have bought it when he was born, I could have had one car seat this whole time instead of the 3 I wasted money on. They are more expensive for many reasons, this is one.

So...knowing all that, here's some about specific seats. Please don't get a Graco Comfort Sport. Car seat techs call it the 'crappysport'. LOL Its a crappy seat that won't last your child very long b/c it has a really short shell. The straps twist all the time, and if they're twisted they won't support your child in a wreck properly. They're hard to install. There's nothing good about these seats except perhaps they're cheap sometimes. Ditto the Safety1st 3-in-1/Cosco Alpha Omega/Eddie Bauer 3-in1 seats. These are all the same company - same seat, just different covers. They stink. Hard to install, b/c of narrow belt paths. Ever tried to wash a skinny cup by hand? Now imagine that skinny cup with pointy edges. That's what putting your hand through these to install them is like. AND they have too short a shell to really go to 40lbs. And that's another misleading thing the box says - 5-100lbs. What the box fails to mention (you don't find out until reading the manual!) is that the harness only goes to 40lbs, NOT 100lbs! After 40lbs it must be used as a booster.And they do not make good boosters. Also, most kids have to use boosters until they're at least 8 years old. Car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, so no matter what they say it is NOT the last seat you'll ever need to buy.

The Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon (These 3 are the same seat, just different variances of luxury additions, with the Marathon being the cheapest base model) can be found for regular price of $269, and on sale at Albee Baby online for $209-$219. The Marathon a wide open easy to route belt path, which makes using it correctly a lot easier, as do the built in lockoffs, which mean you never again have to use a locking clip. I can get it into 4 different vehicles in under 2 minutes. Because of the way the base is made, it fits in most cars. And, it is worth the money, b/c it lasts usually twice as long as most other car seats (all car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture) lasting a baby till they are 5-6 years old, where most at Walmart will only last till 2-4 years old. Rear faces to 33lbs, then forward to 65lbs. and top slots 17inches tall, lasts most kids to ages 5-6 years old. If you're really wanting these, Britax does 2 annual sales where you can get them for great prices: Sept/Oct and Jan/Feb. But check around, often you can find seats with discontinued covers at albeebaby or amazon for great prices.

The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon. These were sale priced a few weeks ago at Walmart, don't know if they still are.

The Compass Tue Fit, also sold as The First Years True Fit, is a great choice, too. Here's a thread talking all about it: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=37221&highlight=truefit Has 16.5 inch top harness slots, half inch shorter than the Britax Marathon and Evenflo Triumph Advance. Rear faces to 35lbs, forward faces to 65lbs, has built-in lockoffs, and you never have to rethread the harness to change harness height. The headrest is removable to fit better in smaller cars. $179 for the one cover Walmart offers it in, check Babies R Us and other stores for different covers at a little more expensive price.

If you have a Burlington Coat Factory near you, it would be worth making a visit to see if they have any Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe car seats. The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible seat is great, it is made by Britax, without all the frills. It's the same shell as a Marathon, but for less than half the price. $130 at Albee Baby online with free shipping, or at their eBay name, babysurplus. Rear faces to 33lbs, forward to 55lbs. Easy to use, fits in most cars. A small word of warning about these seats: they are now officially not making them anymore, so the date of manufacture is getting older and older, with many being delivered that are 6+ months old already. Since car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, this could make a difference to you, especially since its possible your child could fit in the seat for the next 5-6 years. But since they're marked down to $30, its an awesome deal!


It may take some juggling of seats for a little while to get really good prices on seats you actually want.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Is any pack significantly better than a Kelty Frame Pack from the Early 1970's?

baby backpack ll bean image

Q. I inherited a lot of camping gear from my father. I don't know if you are familiar with the Kelty Pack company. In the 1960's and 1970's backpacking was BIG in California. Everyone went backpacking in the Sierras. And the most popular pack was the Kelty pack. Their first store was not far from my house, on Victory Blvd in Glendale. This was all before I was born. My Dad was old enough to be my grandfather (I was an Ooops! baby) and my brother is old enough to be my Dad.

Anyway, my Dad, my Mom, and my Brother all went backpacking with Kelty Frame Packs. They last forever. Well, my Dad and Mom are Dead, and brother has lupus so bad, he will never backpack again. I am a small man, five footfour and 118 pounds. I use my brother's pack from when he was a boy.

When I hunt, I am afraid of getting lost and dying of hypothermia. (It's about 5,000 foot elevation in winter) so I carry lightweight tent, down bag, food, katadyn water filter, about 40 pounds of stuff).

I think that probably nothing I buy will be better for carrying stuff than what I have. Am I wrong? Are modern packs significantly better than frame packs from the 1970's?

Answer
My 2500 cu. in. backpack which uses my Ridge Rest pad as its frame weighs nine ounces by itself, has lasted for several trips, and my total from skin out (FSO) weight is just 17.4 pounds. I wouldn't strap into a 5+ pound Kelty pack if you paid me. In fact when I got started in backpacking around age 20 I spent a couple thousand dollars on the latest and greatest gear thinking thanks to Colin Fletcher, Backpacker Magazine, and others ensuring me that 1950's traditional boy scout/ hunting/ military/ "bomb proof" gear was best, an investment that'd last a lifetime.

That was until I heard about ultralight backpacking around age 25 and over the next few years ended up selling everything at a loss, my 8 pound Dana Designs Astralplane Overkill backpack, my Asolo full leather hiking boots, my 3+ man LL Bean four season tent, my hiking poles, my Whisperlite camp stove with 20 oz. fuel bottle, my combat knife, an army canteen, and the list of junk I sold or dumped in the corner or gave away goes on, while the list of gear I bring shrinks in weight, cost and complexity every year.

i want to become a vegetarian?

momo!

i am almost fifteen years old and i would like to become a vegetarian. my mom is fine with it but she says i need to cook for myself mostly.

I absolutely love meat and i actually get cravings for it during the day. is there a way to stop these cravings?

i have no idea what to make? where do i get my protein from? and what are some vegetarian snacks i can take with me places? i also need recipes that are pretty quick and simple for dinner and lunch. or even some microwavable stuff?

also i have heard of tofu and boca, things like that, but i really don't know what they are?

i am sort of a picky eater. but i am going to try to acquire tastes for some new things. i already eat whole grains.

any information would be so helpful. or even stories about your problems or anything while being a vegetarian.


thanks everyone!
i mean i usually am very active. and i usually only get hungry for meat when im in school and other classes.

also the reason why im doing this is because i watched the "meet your meat" video.

Answer
Good for you! My daughter was the same basically. Meat, cheese and pasta but she hated how animals were treated so she made the switch at eleven. I followed her within a few months and am very glad. She's since expanded her diet greatly and is less picky than I am now. :)

As far as nutrition, as long as you are eating a fairly varied diet -- more than just popcorn for instance or ramen -- you'll likely get all the protein you need. Protein deficiencies usually are only a problem in severe malnutrition instances such as is happening in parts of Africa. There is protein in everything including quite a bit in wheat with beans and nuts being very high. In fact, you'll be getting much more fiber which is really good. Nor do you have to worry about combining as so many people say. That started with a theory by a sociologist and has been refuted by many but the medical community picked up on it and enshrined it (just like ulcers were thought to be caused by stress and spicy foods).

Truth is, only the vegan diet has much concern nutritionally and that's with B12 which is hard to get without supplementation (a pill once a week though fortified foods -- which are just a pill in food form -- or nutritional yeast can help). Meatless diets are actually more likely to be more balanced than the Standard Western Diet.

Some really good foods to help you transition are the Tofurkey products. My daughter loves the sausages and the jerky (which is great for a snack to travel with). Amy's does good frozen dinners, pizzas, and burgers too. Some other burgers/patties we like are Sunshine, Dr. Praeger's, and Yves. Field Roast does some good sausage and a roast too. We don't really eat all that many meat subs though and not any tofu. Just haven't found any tofu products/recipes we like. And that's okay too. For you though it may be just what you need until the cravings go away and they will. Lots of people love tofu. One sub you might try is Quorn which is a very good chicken sub but it's not vegan as it has some milk-based ingredients. The quorn tastes best baked and the patties are best usually fried but neither takes all that much longer than the microwave (we don't even have one anymore).

Another great travel snack is the Lara Bar. It's good for many reasons including no added preservatives or sugar. Lots of different flavors and great to have when hungry in a locker, backpack, desk, car.

Depending on where you live you might be able to find some vegetarian cooking classes. Check out the higher end stores, community colleges, and even The Cancer Project (if no classes in your area you can download their Survivor's Handbook which has many recipes and nutrition guidance -- but if they have classes then once you learn it's possible you could then become a teacher). Maybe your mom will spring for the class fees if you make her dinner a couple times with your new skills.

Good quick lunches are hummus wraps in a brown rice tortilla. Spread the hummus on, top with some red bell pepper and cucumber strips, some crumbled walnuts or pecans, baby (or chopped) spinach leaves, salt, pepper, flax oil, toasted flax seeds, and rolled up for easy eating.

Falafel sandwiches are really good too.

There are a lot of others that you can grow into including chickpea pitas with arugula, tahini and chili sauce.

Get some quinoa, and steal cut oats. Both are really good, high-protein and fairly quick.

Start adding beans and new veggies into your world. Have a piece of fruit instead of chips. Try a new produce item you never had before every week. Learn about Indian, Lebanese, Asian, and Greek foods because those are often meatless and healthy. Others can be including Italian. It won't be long and you won't understand why you haven't always eaten these foods.

Happy Cow is a great net resource for finding veggie-friendly restaurants locally and if traveling.

Finally the last two links in the sources are for nutrition. One is a breakdown of the new four food groups and their benefits (on the right side are links to download a handout you can post somewhere for easy access) and the second has links to further information about nutrition and the diet including a Vegetarian Starter Kit and ideas for healthy snacks.

Give your mom a hug. Not all moms are as accepting unfortunately.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers