Monday, February 15, 2010

Snow Storm for the Record Books

Hello. I am Stacy and will be chiming in to this blog along with Grace. I help her on a few things for Jaq Jaq Bird. I am a first-time Mom to my 15-month old son, Zachary. I am definitely less experienced than Grace when it comes to parenthood so I will probably bring a fresh outlook to the blog.

I feel compelled to share how Jaq Jaq Bird's activity mat and bib helped my family brave the record breaking snow storms this week. I was born and raised in New York, just outside of the city. I am accustomed to big snow falls. I currently reside in Bethesda, MD. Apparently, this area is NOT used to major snow storms. My town seemed ill-equipped to handle the unprecedented amount of snow. This was the most snow in one Winter season in DC EVER. I have been snowed-in for the most part since last Friday. My husband's SUV has taken us out just a few times out of necessity. For the most part, I have had to come up with creative ways to prevent Zach from catching cabin fever.

I want to blog about one of the highlights from this experience because I truly believe in Grace's products. Zach and I had a lot of fun over the past few days with many art projects. We blew a ton of bubbles, brought snowballs inside, drew a lot of masterpieces with crayons and finger painted with mustard, ketchup, vanilla and chocolate pudding. Sounds messy, huh? I was saved though because I used Jaq Jaq Bird's activity mat. My husband and I used to discourage blowing bubbles inside the house. But it isn't a problem anymore now that we use the mat to catch them. The mat has become our "canvas." Zach and I sat on the mat and spread out paper or aluminum foil (for the finger painting) and he just felt free to express himself. I also placed the mat on our floor under his booster seat. With just a bib and diapers only, Zach was encouraged to draw or finger paint in his chair and I can tell he felt very independent. I felt relieved. The mat was large enough to catch the crayons and "splatter paint" that would normally make marks on my wooden floor. Luckily, the activity mat helped mitigate that mess.

Let me tell you why else I know this such a functional activity mat. We had a cheap plastic splat mat before Jaq Jaq Bird's for eating and art time. We also tried to use that one for when Zach aspired to be an artist. As they say, "you get what you pay for." The size was ok for when we played art class, but not big enough for when he threw his food. Also, the design on the cheap one had Elmo on it. It was cute, but made our dining room look tacky. I was lucky to land this mat a very nice print. It's solid in the middle with just print on the borders. Very classy. Not busy. I can use it anywhere in the house and it isn't too disruptive. Best of all, it's "green" and so easy to clean. Anything that contributes to a better environment and less clean-up time for Mommy is right up my alley.

Speaking of eco-friendly, let me go back to the bib I referred to earlier. I have a matching Jaq Jaq Bird airplane bib for Zach. He, of course, just insists upon feeding himself these days. Needless to say, he always makes a mess. I am not the most efficient cleaner, so I was trying to find a bib that was thick and easy to clean. This bib not only serves that purpose, but has such a unique print. My son doesn't usually wear "baby-ish" designs. Z thoroughly enjoys pointing out all of the planes (he's obsessed) on his bib. It helps make his eating experience fun. I love this bib both for style and functionality. It's the perfect mix. The pockets are big enough to catch most everything that drips and the fabric is super easy to clean. You already know that's a huge bonus for me.

It was nice meeting you. I am looking forward to sharing my personal experiences and learning's with you in the future.

For those of you getting hit by the blizzard on the East Coast, please be safe and stay warm.