A Few of My Favorite (Mommy) Things, a Review and a Giveaway! - The Grobag Egg and The Mommy Hook

I'm going to start off this post with one of my new favorite Mommy things. The Mommy Hook. Out of the box, I originally thought, “What in the world am I going to use this for?” Little did I know that it would quickly prove to be one of the most useful “Mommy” products that I own.

The Mommy Hook is basically just a huge clip like the ones that I keep my keys on. It’s being marketed mostly as a clip for use on a stroller, but we’ve found several other uses as well. The first time that I put the hook to use was to keep our front gate closed. For some reason, our gate swells so much in the summer heat that it won’t close. This means a constant battle between me, my dog and my 2 year old. On one particularly frustrating afternoon, I had one of those “Ah-Ha” moments and realized that the hook would be exactly the right size for hooking over the top of the gate and the fence in order to keep it closed. This use alone makes The Mommy Hook worth it’s inexpensive price tag.

We do keep the clip attached to our stroller, and it has been very useful for trips to the grocery store as well. I inevitably buy more groceries than I can fit in the basket on my stroller. The Mommy Hook is great for carrying light loads of bread or other groceries that I can’t fit below and don’t want smashed. I’m careful to not load it down too much, out of concern for the stability of the stroller, but it’s great for light bags.

One other way that The Mommy Hook proved invaluable to us was on a recent trip. We had to pack for a wedding, a funeral, and a two week vacation. I tried to pack as lightly as I could, but 4 people require a lot of stuff. Then of course, we had Nadia in the stroller and Isaac to drag around the airport as well. The hook was perfect for attaching my husband’s smaller duffle bag to a suitcase which was like having an extra hand.

I really do think that The Mommy Hook is one of the most useful products that we’ve come across. I'm not exaggerating. $8 for something that I use almost every day is worth it!

On to the review portion of this post...

Last week, we reviewed two components of the Grobag Safe Sleep System. Alexandra has been using the Swaddle Wrap with her new little guy, and Isaac slept until 4:30 this morning in his Baby Sleeping Bag. Yes, that's what I said, 4:30! It was awesome, but I digress. I'm supposed to be telling you about the last component of the system, the Grobag Egg.

Before Nadia’s birth, my husband and I took all the “required” classes. We took a lamaze class, an infant care class, and a breast-feeding class. The one issue that was discussed again and again was SIDS prevention. We learned all about how to keep Nadia safe. Of course, we did everything we were supposed to, but it didn’t stop me from worrying constantly about whether or not she was breathing. I would sneak in just to watch her little chest moving up and down, and I do the same with Isaac now. As parents, anything we can do to decrease the risk of SIDS and ease our worried minds is worth it. This is where the Grobag Egg comes in.

The Grobag Egg is a combination nightlight and room thermometer that is part of the Grobag Sleep System. It’s marketed as a way to help reduce the risk of SIDS because it helps you monitor the temperature of the room. It lights up in one of four different colors. Blue means the room is too cold, yellow means it is just right, orange mean it is a little on the warm side and red means it is way too hot. Also displayed with the temperature is a little face that is sad when the temperature is too hot or cold, but smiley when it’s just right. Gimmicky, but cute.

What the Grobag Egg is especially good for is a nightlight. It has a nice subtle glow which makes an additional nightlight unnecessary. The Egg also sits on top of a dresser or changing table which makes it inaccessible to curious crawlers and toddlers. We had so many battles with Nadia over the nightlight that plugged directly into the outlet that could have been eliminated with a nightlight that was out of her reach. I don’t have to turn on a light when I go in to nurse Isaac in the middle of the night which is helpful as well.

Full review-based on a four-star scale

Functionality *** - This works great as a nightlight. Very unobtrusive when sitting on a dresser and provides just the right amount of light. The thermometer function works well, and definitely helped alert me the other day when I turned off the air conditioning. The rest of the house was comfortable, but Isaac’s room was well above 80 degrees. While the risk of SIDS is pretty much over for us, it was nice to know that I needed to turn a fan or something on to help him sleep a little more comfortably.

Style *** - I like the simple look. Just a cute little egg that changes color with the temperature. There’s not really much else to say. I’ll never really have to worry about whether or not it fits into the décor of the room. Tucked away on the bookshelf or dresser, it’s hardly noticed.

Cost ** - At $30, it might be somewhat pricey for some. It’s dual use as both a thermometer and nightlight makes the price a little more reasonable. The peace of mind that you might get from knowing that you are truly doing everything in your power to prevent SIDS might also help justify the price for many of you.

Overall Rating *** - Overall, I’m very impressed by the entire Grobag Sleep System line. The Grobag Egg is no exception. It is a unique product that helps in the fight against SIDS. What more can you say?

Do you want to win a Grobag Egg and The Mommy Hook for yourself? All you have to do is go to the Keen Distribution website and check out all the products that they have to offer. Choose your favorite and come back here and tell us what it is and how you would use it. All entries must be received by midnight on Friday, September 5th. Please only one entry per household and you must be 18 or older to win. We will choose one winner using random.org. Feel free to leave your email so that we can contact you when you win, but also know that we will be submitting winner info to Prizey Winners. The winner will receive both a Grobag Egg and Mommy Hook. Thanks for reading and good luck!