Super Undies - Our Nighttime Saving Grace {Potty Training}

When I began our potty training adventures this second time around, the one thing I worried about was staying dry at night. My son was very good about staying dry when he was younger. In fact, after 18 months he would wake up with a dry diaper 5 out of 7 nights. Sometimes even more.

When we potty trained the first time we had no issues. He stayed dry all night and woke up from naps sweaty but again, no accidents.

But since he had worn Pull Ups at night and during naptime after his regression, we needed to figure out a solution to getting him back on track in controlling his need to go when he was in a deep sleep. Our solution to our night-time dilemma was Super Undies!

What are Super Undies?

Like cloth diapers, Super Undies have an inner layer of microfiber cloth to allow for little accidents to be absorbed and not get the sheets and clothes wet. If extra protection is needed, Super Undies also has a removable insert to place inside the trainers like a pocket diaper.

There are two types of daytime use Super Undies, the Pull On Potty Training Pants and the Pocket  Potty Training Pants. To learn more about the differences of the two watch each of the videos shown on the website (links above).

For most people, Super Undies are the perfect green solution to potty training pants. Instead of going for the disposable trainers, you would simply purchase a set of Super Undies to use until your little one got the hang of holding it in and waiting to get to the toilet.

They are super easy to pull up and down, just like underwear, but don't have as much bulk as a cloth diaper. They're also a heck of a lot more stylish than the plastic pants I've been handed down by relatives.

And they're simple and easy to wash. Since these aren't diapers and aren't meant to hold in a lot of urine, they can be washed in what you wash your undies with. I simply throw our Super Undies in with the darks or the towels... whichever needs to be done first.

Super Undies come in a variety of colors. I had my son help pick out the color of his and got him involved in knowing exactly what they were for and how they were just for emergencies. 

Nighttime Potty Training Solution

Since we already have daytime potty training covered, and have continued to use underwear, the only time we needed a little extra reassurance is night time when my son occasionally still has an accident when he either wakes up too late or doesn't make it to the bathroom in time in the morning and has an accident on the carpet outside of the bathroom (or next to his bed).

For the first two months after he was trained we had him wear his Super Undies to bed for an added sense of reassurance. He felt better because he knew that even if he didn't make it in time, he wouldn't make a mess everywhere. And we were happy because we don't have to change his sheets as often.

Because the Super Undies have a removable insert, you can decide whether or not to add in more absorbency or leave the insert out. Either way, you're saved from having to clean up the messes accidents leave behind.

Super Undies also has a pair Nighttime Undies if you need a little more protection.

The Investment

At a reasonable base price of $19.95, and a potty training kit starting at $125, you can purchase all of the Super Undies you need for the cost of less than 5 months worth of diapers or disposable trainers How's that for savings?

Even if you're only looking for a night-time and nap-time solution, Super Undies are a safe bet! And I'm fairly certain that potty training would have been a heck of a lot easier had we invested in Super Undies before trying Pull Ups. I think a lot of frustration and miscommunication between myself and my son could have been avoided.

You can purchase Super Undies on their website here. Or if you're looking to purchase locally, check out a list of their retailers here.

The Noise Girls have yet again put together an amazing giveaway event just for your family! The For the Family giveaway event starts on September 1st so please remember to hurry back and enter for your chance to win.

And Super Undies has joined in on the fun to offer one lucky reader a pair of Super Undies in this giveaway. Head on over and like them on facebook or follow them on twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions!

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Super Undies for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

Top 5 Tips for Road Trips with Young Kids {#CulturelleKids Sponsored Post}

This summer has been full of fun memories for our family. From days at the beach, to drives up to Disneyland, to a road trip to Mammoth Mountain and Yosemite, we've seen quite a bit of excitement. But being prepared for traveling with kids in the car has been something we've worked on. 

Since my son is newly potty trained the one thing we worried about when on the road with him is that he'd have to go #2 and not be able to tell us until we were too late and he got out of the car. Also, with the long 6 hour ride to Mammoth Mountain, we worried about how many stops we really needed to make and how many stops were just "fun" stops. 

In preparation of our trip we decided to bit of research to make sure that we had a successful journey with two young children in the back seat. Since we've made this trek once before with our son at 18 months we kind of had an idea about what to expect. In an effort to make our next trip successful we wrote down a few things that helped us along the way.

Here are a few ways to keep your road trip fun and successful with young children: 

Pin It

1. Make sure to pack a potty - 

We simply placed our Joovy Loo in the back of the car. That way if we needed to stop and there wasn't a place to do so, we could just use the back of the station wagon. This helped us a lot when my son was working on things and just needed to sit on something other than his car seat to help him along. 

It also gave us peace of mind when on long stretches of road. We didn't have to worry about not being able to find a sanitary place to stop (my husband isn't as adventurous as I am and doesn't approve of relieving yourself on the side of the road... just wait till we go camping!).

2. Plan out frequent stops - 

This won't just give your child a chance to "try" but it will also give them a chance to stretch their legs and get a little energy out. By planning out where your next stop will be you might be able to quickly answer your children when they ask how long it will be until you arrive at your next stop. 

You can also use pre-planned stops as points for conversation. By letting your children know what the next stop is, or giving hints to where your heading, you might be able to create a sense of excitement and adventure as you make your way through the trip. 

We had fun picking out where we stopped and made sure to mix restaurants in with quick pit stops at gas stations. I also allowed the kids to pick out one "surprise" at each stop to make it more interesting to them as well.

3. Create a fun pack filled with games and activities - 

By creating a fun pack filled with new-to-you toys, activities focused on the age level of your child, and games the children can play in the car you can create distractions and, hopefully, reduce the amount of, "Are we there yet?" questions from the back seat. 

Figure out some fun games you want to play with your child on the road. Consider simple ideas like finding an object of a certain color, finding a certain letter of the alphabet, or, depending on where your driving, looking out for different animals! By making the ride fun and entertaining itself, your child will be less likely to complain about being in the car and more excited. 

We brought our fun activity backpack and filled it with the following:

• Crayola Color Wonder note pads with marker
• mini magnadoodle
• magnifying glass 
• cars, dinosaurs, and planes
• a stuffed animal for each child
• books about where we were traveling to such as Who Pooped in the Park? about Yosemite animals, Road Trip (Spongebob Squarepants), and The Super Silly Yosemite Sticker and Activity Book

4. Find a great local attraction to visit - 

Take a look at a map and find a great middle point between your home and your destination. Are there any fun, quirky activities you can stop and do in between? Maybe a museum or a historical monument. By maping out a spot or two on the way to your destination you can talk with your children about what you might see, what they would like to do, and how you will spend your time at the next spot. 

You can also use these stops as teaching opportunities. By learning a bit about the spot beforehand you can tell your child about the history behind the attraction as well as why it's such an interesting stop on your journey.

5. Continue You Probiotic Suppliments - 

When your child is in a new environment or has a new routine, sometimes it's natural to hold things in. I know a few children who, when on vacation, will refuse to go #2 in a new place (as well as a few adults!). By continuing to offer your child a probiotic supplement like Culturelle, you can make it easier for your child to feel comfortable going when on the go. 

Culturelle boosts digestive health and helps reduce occasional digestive upset. his will also help provide ongoing maintenance for a healthy digestive tract. And we all know how much happier we are when we're regular! Same goes for our kids. 

There are two awesome varieties of Culturelle available for young children depending on their age. My son enjoys the powder form that is easily added to his water or juice. It has no taste and dissolves quickly. By continuing to offer it to him throughout our trip we were able to successfully continue our potty training success while on our vacation! 

Do you have any tips for a successful road trip with young kids?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post from Culturelle. I also received a sample of Culturelle Kids! for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Joovy Family on the Go Toddler Package {@JoovyOO StepTool}

The Noise Girls are excited to announce the Joovy Family On The Go giveaway event hosted by the Noise Girls!

For the family on the go this summer! Whether you're on a road trip to Grandma's house or enjoying a relaxing weekend at the campground, Joovy's latest products help make travel easy and fun! This event will run from July 9^th through July 30^th  and includes three amazing packages of Joovy products perfect for every stage of childhood.

Enter to win The Toddler Package Here

Is your toddler in the midst of potty training or close to it? You won't want to go anywhere without their trusted StepTool to make potty training, washing hands, and brushing teeth on-the-go easy and fun!

With their sleek design, easy to clean surfaces, and slip resistant padding; your child will stay safe an secure when learning how to be independent. 

Read what the Noise Girls have to say about these products:

The StepTool

How Was Your Day's review
East 9th Street's review
FormulaMom's review

Don't forget to enter the other two amazing giveaways from Joovy here:

Enter to win The Baby Package Here

Enter to win The Child Package Here

Mommy, Where's the Butt Hole?

Through our potty training adventures my son has grown quiet curious about his underwear. Which way they go on, which way is backwards, and why underwear even has to be worn.

Our most recent ventures have included defining what the little hole is for...

A few months ago my son realized that the front of his underwear had a hole. He immediately asked what it was for and I had to explain that it was for his penis. That some boys choose to use this hole when they go pee pee so they don't have to take down their underwear.

"So it's a penis hole, right?" He asked. Yup. A penis hole.

After we clarified what a penis hole was, every time he put on his underwear he asked if the penis hole went in the front or in the back. And I'd reiterate that the penis hole went in the front. Because his penis was there.

A few weeks passed and we began our daily routine of getting dress.

Again, my son asked which way was front and which way was back. I asked him to look for the penis hole and to put that in front. He sat down, pulled up his undies, stood up, and looked down.

"Mommy, is there a butt hole too?"

Umm... no, honey, your underwear does not have a butt hole too. But thanks for the laugh!

Joovy Family on the Go Toddler Package {@JoovyOO Loo}

The Noise Girls are excited to announce the Joovy Family On The Go giveaway event hosted by the Noise Girls!

For the family on the go this summer! Whether you're on a road trip to Grandma's house or enjoying a relaxing weekend at the campground, Joovy's latest products help make travel easy and fun! This event will run from July 9^th through July 30^th  and includes three amazing packages of Joovy products perfect for every stage of childhood.

Enter to win The Toddler Package Here

Is your toddler in the midst of potty training or close to it? You won't want to go anywhere without their trusted Loo to make potty training on-the-go easy and fun!

With the Loo's sleek design, easy to clean surfaces, and slip resistant padding; your child will stay safe an secure when learning how to be independent. 

Read what the Noise Girls have to say about these products:

The Loo
Simmworks Family's review
Frugal Greenish Mama's review
FormulaMom's review


And don't forget to enter the two other amazing prize packages that Joovy has to offer:

Enter to win The Baby Package Here

Enter to win The Child Package Here

5 Potty Training Must Haves {Tips & Tricks}

Three weeks ago my son was getting ready for the day and decided to take his night-time pull up off. Instead of reaching for a new pull up to put on for the day, he wanted to hang out naked. What can I tell you? My kids like to be naked.

Well... all of a sudden, 5 minutes later he comes running to me telling me he has to go potty. So we go to the bathroom and he pees on the potty. Whoa... that's awesome!

Since our potty training regression a year ago the only effort I've made in the potty training department is to make sure my son knew he had to be potty trained before he could go to preschool (a requirement of the school we were looking at sending him to). I left everything else up to him.

After the first successful pee we had a few more. Followed by an accident outside in the grass. This continued throughout the day and into the next three days. There was an accident here or there but nothing major. And usually the accidents occurred when he was in his underwear. So we left the underwear off unless we were going out and just followed his cues.

In no time he was running to the potty alone, pulling down his pants, and going. And after 2 weeks he decided it was time to go potty standing up. So now he goes like a big boy on his own, with only a little help from mom or dad.

If I knew potty training was this easy I wouldn't have attempted to do it when he was 2! Here are my must haves for potty training success:

5 Potty Training Must Haves

Small Portable Potty

A small potty is a must for any potty training household. Not only is it convenient to move throughout the house as needed, you can even throw it in the back of your car for much needed potty breaks on the go. Going camping? Or taking a road trip? Avoid icky public restrooms by bringing along your Joovy Loo!

We keep ours in the bathroom and take it with us when we're going places we know wont have restrooms (or if the restrooms or dirty or hard to find) like the beach and park. I've found that my daughter is now starting to show an interest in using the potty so we'll be keeping this around for a while until she feels comfortable on the big potty.

My son also loves his Mommy's Helper potty seat that we got from Amazon.com. It stays on the side of our toilet and he pulls it out whenever he's going to be in the restroom for a while...

Potty Cover
For those times when you're forced to use public restrooms, make sure you have your Potty Cover with you! They're individually packaged for on-the-go ease and fit nicely in a diaper bag or purse. Plus, with children who like to touch EVERYTHING, these will keep your kids clean and sanitary.

Covers the whole potty, not just the top...

I've found these to be helpful when we're at a park or another location where seat covers aren't easily accessible. And they're great for wet bottoms because they won't fall apart or rip on you (ever get out of the pool or ocean and try to use the restroom? Not fun!). 

Compostable Disinfectant Wipes

My little one is still figuring out aim. With that there are a lot of potty clean ups at home and on the go. We had quite a fun time at Disneyland recently and he managed to get the wall covered in urine. Too bad they don't make these in to-go wipes too!

Since these GreenWorks compostable cleaning wipes can be easily stored in the bathroom cabinet or close to the toilet, and they're 99% plant derived, I feel safe using these around my kids. They do a great job cleaning out the little potty too!

Super Undies

Instead of sticking with Pull Ups for night time use we've made the switch to cloth trainers for night time and our choice has been Super Undies. They look and feel just like regular underwear but have a bit of absorbency for small accidents. You can also use the doubler included to maximize the absorbency if you have a heavy night wetter.

Luckily it only took our son 4 nights to realize he had to "hold it in" until he got ot the toilet and now wakes up and goes to the restroom instead of relieving himself in his (or our) bed. But he still likes his Super Undies so we use them just in case.

And last but not least...

Rewards! 

We are currently using gummy worms or M&Ms as a pee-pee on the potty reward and DumDums as a poo-poo on the potty reward. And you know what? My kid loves his rewards. He is constantly telling friends and family that he goes pee-pee on the potty so he can get his worm.

And since we've promised him a LEGO dinosaur when he goes a whole week without accidents, we'll be heading out to purchase said $50 toy on Saturday. Yup, that's right folks, when you promise a reward you'd better be ready to pay up. Because your kid WONT let you forget.

Has your child began potty training/learning? Have any tips you'd like to share?

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com and other companies. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

Using the Loo {@JoovyOO Mom Review}

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Three weeks ago my son took it upon himself to start going pee pee on the potty "like a big boy" and boy were we surprised! When we realized what was happening we knew we had to jump into action. And that meant getting the proper tools in place to make things as easy as possible.

The first step we took was to look for other options for potty seats. 

We had a little potty we bought when he first started showing interest but we put no thought or research into the decision. We just headed to the store and purchased something.

Boy I wished we hadn't. 

You see... these potty seats can be a tad... messy. The "shield" really doesn't shield anything and the well does not hold a lot! Well, at least a not for my heavy wetter.  We were cleaning up more than we did when we changed diapers (and pull ups).

So the quest for a solution arose. 

When I received the opportunity to test drive the Joovy Loo potty chair I jumped on it!

Not only is the design of this product superior to what we have, it's also super comfy (or at least that's what my son tells me). As you can tell from the side by side comparison, the Loo not only has a wider seat, there's more cushion for the tush when sitting down. It's not as narrow and doesn't confine the user to the sea (there have been a few times my son has actually gotten STUCK in his old potty seat.

Funny... but not.

Cleaning out the seat is so easy that even my son does it without getting pee everywhere. Since the pee shield is larger than the average shield, the place where you pick up the seat  gives you enough of a grabbing area to assure that you aren't touching anything icky.

See the difference in the pictures above? What you might not see is how much deeper the bowl is on the Loo, and how much taller the pee shield is.

The watertight design and clean white color allows for a simple swipe of toilet paper in the bowl to clean it out. We see everything that's in there and there are no nooks or crannies for things to hide out in.

And when you dispose of anything in the bowl, there's no empty hole leading to your flooring underneath... there's actually a completely sealed inner bowl! So if your kid has to go again, or you have another child lining up behind the first, there aren't any messes on the floor underneath the seat.

My kids kindly tested this out for me without me even having to ask! 

My daughter may or may not have removed the bowl to let her dolls use the restroom in the playroom. She couldn't pick up the whole toilet so she just brought a piece of it.

Since my son began using his seat my daughter has begun telling us when she goes to the restroom as well! With a quick 'Poopoo' announcement she races to the bathroom, takes off her wet diaper and sits on the potty herself. She doesn't actually pee pee in the potty yet but she's getting the idea!

I may have my hands full over the next few months. But that was a given.

I just love that my son now runs to go use his potty and is excited about using it too! And over the past two weeks he's gotten quite good at doing everything all by himself. My little man is growing up! And just this morning he asked to pee on the big potty standing up. How awesome is that?

It won't be too long before my daughter is the one using the Loo. And we'll be prepared.

The Joovy Loo is also the perfect portable potty. Especially in the early weeks of potty training when a child doesn't have quite the control they need to hold it until a parent can find the restroom, keeping the Loo in the trunk or back of the car can prove to be a huge relief for a potty training child. And it's the perfect potty to take along when camping or traveling.

Ever been on a road trip? Those gas stations are NOT the prettiest places to pee.

The Loo is much prettier. And cleaner too! How awesome is the name? I find myself calling it the Loo whenever my son asks to go to the restroom. "Oh, you mean the Loo? Sure! Lets go..."

Where to Purchase

Do you have a potty training toddler at home? Or are you about to start the process? Head on over to the Joovy site and pick up a Loo of your own. You might want to check out their StepTool as well. Makes the perfect potty training companion to the Loo.

While your there why don't you sign up for Club Joovy? To find out more check out my Foocot Review and scroll down to the bottom. You won't want to miss the opportunities available to Club Joovy members!

And make sure to head on over to the Joovy Facebook page and like them today! Don't do Facebook and prefer twitter? They're there too!

Win a Loo of your own!

Joovy has paired up with the Noise Girls to bring you a very special event! Joovy Family On The Go will feature three amazing prize packages all geared towards the child in your life!

From infant, to toddler, to child; Joovy is your solution to travel gear this summer! Head on over to the Noise Girls page from July 9th to July 30th and enter to win one of these amazing prizes!



Disclaimer: I received a Joovy Loo for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.