From Birth to 2 Years the @GracoBaby SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 Carseat Has Everything! #GracoSafety

Introducing the Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40
Recently I had the opportunity to learn a little more about a new car seat on the market. From the company I used for our first infant car seat. And I couldn't be more excited to share what I learned with you!

To say that the Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 is new and improved is an understatement. This is not your mother's car seat. And it's 10x better than the car seat I brought my daughter home in less than two short years ago (which was a Graco Snugride we received when I was pregnant with my son 4 years ago). So what amazing achievements has Graco made with the SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40? Let me tell you!

SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 Features:

• 4-40 pound weight limit (a full 2 years!)
• Base adjusts with 8 recline positions for most leg room of any rear-facing car seat for baby's comfort
• The Simply Safe Adjust™ harness systems allows parents to adjust the harness and headrest with just one hand to fit their baby's height as their baby grows, all without having to re-thread the harness for extra convenience.
• Click Connect™ attachment which allows parents to easily transition their babies from the car seat to the stroller through a simple, but secure, one-step "click."
• Available in two gorgeous patterns: Mena (girl) and Moonstruck (boy/gender neutral)
• Available for purchase online and in-stores at Babies "R" Us

Ease of Use
One of the biggest hassles with car seats is adjusting the straps as our kids grow. With the car seats I've owned I've had to re-thread the straps every time my kids grow a few inches. Ok... I'm lying. My husband has had to re-thread the car seats everytime the kids grow. And this gets rather annoying.

With the SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40, there's no re-threading! You simply adjust the back to wherever you'd like to set the height to and ta-da! It's done. In less than a minute, your child comfortably and safely fits in their car seat again.

And did I mention that there are 8 different positions in this carseat? When adjusting the seat, your child actually goes up and out, not just up. So more room is created for their legs and body.

Amazing Detail
With anything from Graco, expect adorable cuteness. Including these foot impressions in the foot rest! Seriously... I can sometimes be that impulse buyer who will only buy an item for features like this. Little toes! Now, now... I wouldn't actually purchase a car seat just for the foot impressions, but the added detail just adds to the total package.

And that's not it! Just like the stroller that came with my travel system, this carseat also comes with a window in the sunshade so that you can peek in on baby without moving the sunshade and disturbing a peaceful slumber.

Safety over Years
The Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 – the first and only newborn to two-year infant car seat that actually grows with your baby from four pounds all the way up to 40 pounds. The car seat is designed for a parent on the go. The infant car seat can be easily removed from the base and used as a carrier when the infant is small, providing portability and convenience so you can easily move your infant in and out of the car without disturbing them.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently made the recommendation to keep all children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. Graco set out to make this product so parents can keep infants rear facing longer while still keeping them comfortable.

Learn More About Graco
To learn more about the Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 check out http://www.gracosafety.com/. And to keep up with the latest in Graco news, check out the Graco Facebook page and follow them on twitter at @GracoBaby.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco. The opinions and text are all mine.

Mission Possible Book Review & Giveaway #readmissionpossible.

My oldest is just about to start pre-school for the first time. He's never gone to daycare, nor has he been watched by anyone other than family (and one family friend for a short period). Since birth I have been the one to teach him. To create experiences for him and to introduce him to new things.

When I think about who I'm handing him over to when he starts school I get nervous. then I realize that I have total control of where he goes and who his teacher is. That is until he's in elementary school.

I have to wonder with the changes made in the school systems, the budget cuts, the layoffs, have affected the teachers that are left in the schools.

Why are teachers not being held to a higher regard in this country? Why are we not doing everything we can to assure that the people who are teaching our cihldren are receiving adequate pay and adequate supplies to actually teach?!

A teacher who is limited to a specific curriculum, limited supplies, and a limited budget can only do so much. And after a few years that teacher might lose the drive and motivation they once had when they started their career. What if that burned out teacher is the one my son gets when he starts?

Because of these questions and concerns, I have to wonder if this stagnation, not being able to move forward, that is keeping our teachers from reaching a higher level in their careers, is another reason why teachers are losing their motivation.

If it is, what can I do about it? So I'm starting to look for answers, and maybe an alternative to what is available for me. I have the ability to choose where I send my son, who teaches him, and how I emphasize what is taught when he comes home. I will not let budget cuts and school reforms change the schooling my son receives and will make sure to be as involved as possible to help aid his teachers in teaching him.

I recently read Mission Possible by Eva Moskowitz, a book geared towards reforming schools and changing policies to allow schools to get things done much faster. They offer classroom-tested methods for dramatic improvement in teaching and learning and reveal the results of their many tests.

The Success Academy charter schools have proven to be quite successful. Children who attend a Success Academy are expected to take action. And parents are involved as well. All of the pressure isn't just put on the teacher, but the teacher-child-parent unit as a whole.

Teachers who work at a charter school like Success Academy are able to:

• Be more creative and innovative in their instructional approach 
• Choose their own curriculum
• Control their budget
• Not automatically be subject to the teachers' union contract

With these differences and many more in the charter school system, our children are in classrooms with happier, better paid teachers with the resources needed to teach. Head on over to the Success Academy website for more information.

To learn more about Eva's book and her mission, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out the Mission Possible website for a list of stores where the book is available for purchase. Have questions? Don't hesitate to reach out to Eva on Facebook or Twitter!

Why do you think this country treats teaching so differently than it does other professions?


Interested in winning a copy of Mission Possible? Simply enter the rafflecopter below by August 14th at 11:59pm. Good luck!