8.10.2020

Convertible Car Seat Round Up

Hi friends! Long time, no post! But this last week or so I've spent a lot of time researching convertible and all-in-one car seats since my twins have almost out grown their UppaBaby Mesa infant seats and we're ready to move to the next step!

We have loved the Mesa infant seats since we have the UppaBaby Vista stroller (we have this one, but this color is included in the Nordstrom sale!), which made it so easy to take them in and out. For the last couple months though, since they're so heavy (both the babies and the infant seats) we typically leave the car seats in the car, unbuckle the babies and put them in the stroller with the toddler seat and rumble seat attachments for the Vista stroller so at this point, we're ready for another seat that we can just leave in the car for them.

There are so many great car seats out there, so I reached out on Instagram a few times and found a few different ones were recommended over and over again. I knew that the Nuna Rava was going to be included in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, along with the Maxi Cosi Pria, so I wanted to get general reviews on those since now would be the time to buy those if we were interested.

Since I spent so much time researching the different features of the top six recommended seats, I figured I would put all of that info into writing and share here in case anyone else is in the same boat. I also included two more newer seats that are a little pricier but have some neat features that are worth mentioning. There is so much information out there when it comes to baby gear that it is so easy to get overwhelmed so I'll try to be concise with each one! (Lucie's List is a great place to start researching for all kinds of baby gear and was my go-to when working on my baby registry last year!)

Here are the top picks from my quick Instagram survey!

Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1  $269.99 

+ with TrueShield Side Impact Technology $316.89

Features & comments from you all: all-in-one style seat (converts to backless booster for up to 120lbs), 2 cup holders, RapidRemove washable cover removes without uninstalling the seat, 6 position recline, steel reinforced frame, very long seat, can be a bit bulky

Rear facing weight limits: up to 40lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 120lbs

Shop Graco 4Ever:

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Nuna Rava - Available from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: $374.90 (Note: I have early access because I am a cardholder. If you can't access the sale yet, you can preview it and save it to your Wish List to purchase August 19th)

Regular price $449.95

Features & comments from you all: 10 position recline, easy to install, 2 flip out cup holders (that can be removed to be washed), ventilation panels, rear facing up to 50lbs (the longer you can keep your child rear facing the better in terms of safety), gives more legroom in the front, free of flame-retardant chemicals, all steel frame, side impact protection pods

Rear facing weight limits: up to 50lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 65lbs, 49"

Shop Nuna Rava:

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Maxi Cosi Pria Max 3-in-1 Available from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: $246.90 (Note: Like the Nuna, I have early access because I am a cardholder. If you can't access the sale yet, you can preview it and save it to your Wish List to purchase August 19th)

 Maxi Cosi Pria 3-in-1 $289.99

+ Pria Max 3-in-1 $329.99

Features & comments from you all: soft, high quality, moisture wicking fabric, QuickFit shoulder harness, ClipQuick auto-magnetic chest clip, 2 cup holders, easy to remove cover to wash, very comfortable for baby, can be tough to install

Rear facing weight limits: up to 40lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 100lbs

Shop Maxi Cosi Pria:

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Diono Radian 3R $199.99

+ Radian 3RX $269.99

+ Radian 3RXT $299.97

Features & comments from you all: can fit 3 across in the back seat (this is huge!), low sides means children can easily get in and out, child can be facing for longer, easy to clean, huge but sturdy, not super easy to install, comes with one cupholder

Rear facing weight limits: up to 50lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 120lbs as a high back booster seat

Shop Diono Radian:

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+ Britax Marathon ClickTight $299.99

Boulevard Cool N Dry Collection (on sale!) $319.49

Boulevard ClickTight $324.99

+ Advocate $354.99

+ One4Life $374.99

+ One4Life with Cool N Dry moisture wicking fabric $389.99

Features & comments from you all: made in SC, easy to install- ClickTight, multiple layers of side impact protection, big and heavy, no cupholders (but you can purchase one), 7 position quick-push recline, steel frame, removable cover is washer and dryer safe, ventilated mesh and built in cooling chanels

Rear facing weight limits: up to 40lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 65lbs (One4Life model- up to 120lbs in high back booster mode)

Shop Britax Clicktight Models:

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Graco Extend2Fit 2-in-1 $145.66

+ 3-in-1 with TrueShield Side Impact Technology $279.99

Features & comments from you all: keeps child rear facing longer (additional 5" rear facing legroom), 6 position recline, harness storage, wide seat, easy install

Rear facing weight limits: up to 50lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 100lbs

Shop Graco Extend2Fit:

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+ BONUS SEATS (these are both new on the market and more expensive than everything else mentioned above but worth mentioning!)

Cybex Sirona S $499.99

Seat rotates 360 degrees to make it easy to take baby in and out, load leg stabilizes the seat in case of accident, Sensorsafe harness clip to alert you if baby becomes unbuckled or too hot, EasyLock bar helps to make installation simple and secure (since the seat rotates 360, you could install once and never have to change it), magnetic buckle holders, 12 recline positions 

Rear facing weight limits: up to 50lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 65lbs

Shop Cybex Sirona S:

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Nuna Exec $649.95

All-in-one seat, fits 3 across, (the only others that fit 3 across are the Diono Radian and Clek Foonf), anti-rebound panel, washable cover, extended leg room while rear-facing, 8 reclining positions, dual flip open cupholders (dishwasher safe), ventilation panels and breathable knit fabric, magnetic harness keepers

Rear facing weight limits: up to 50lbs

Forward facing/booster seat weight limits: up to 120lbs in high seat booster chair

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Now, with all of this information about convertible car seats (and there are still so many out there that I haven't included in this round up!) I'm pretty sure we're going to go with the Nuna Rava, which was my first pick from the get-go since it's on sale for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, but then again the Britax sounds so safe and easy to install... and I love the Diono is so narrow and can fit 3 across if we ever needed another car seat in the back... and SO many people love their Graco 4Ever seats and those would last us for so long! I feel like every time I look more into one certain seat, I see so many benefits of those which is why the more research I do, the more confused I think I get- but since we have to commit and buy two right off the bat, I want to make sure it's the right decision!

Do you have a seat you love (or hate?!) I would love to know!

STAY IN TOUCH!

4.14.2020

The Twins' Nursery

Hi friends! I hope all of you are well and doing alright during this scary time in our lives. I do my best everyday to look on the bright side of things and be grateful for what we have right now at this stage of our lives, but I know that is such a privilege. As a nation we are so lucky to have so many "helpers" out there, willing to risk it all to assist others- whether it be the helpers in healthcare saving lives everyday, delivery drivers transporting goods all over the country, grocery store workers making sure we can all still get food in the comfort of our our homes, and anyone else finding ways to help out. Thank you, thank you, thank to all of you!

I haven't shared a blog post here since the twins were born (they certainly have kept me busy these last 5 1/2 months!) but last week I was putting clothes away in their nursery and I felt a wave a gratitude for that little room. It has served many different purposes since we moved into our home almost 5 years ago... an embroidery studio/Etsy shop shipping central, a guest room for beloved family and friends, and now a nursery for my two baby boys!

This room has the best afternoon light and I finally snapped a few pictures to share! Also if you're a new mama or mama-to-be, I have been working on putting together a master list of Baby Registry Must Haves/all of our baby and new mom basics that I want to share. Hopefully that'll be the next post up here sometime soon!

Larkin Crib (converts to toddler and full size bed) // crib sheets // crib skirt // similar basket to hold their stuffed animals (this puppy and this bunny are some of their favorites)

nightstand // lamp // milestone blocks // Hatch Rest + (We love this sound machine, nightlight, and clock all in one! I can control it from my phone but we have 4 favorites set up that we just touch the top and it goes from off --> soft light --> "twinkle twinkle" --> light off and waves)

swivel glider & recliner // quilt (this is the same pattern as the crib sheets)

rattan elephant (sold out from Celadon Home) // acrylic bookshelves

mirror // dresser & changing table // changing pad & scale // wipe holder // diaper pail // diaper caddy from Home Goods (similar here)

We love this Pottery Barn changing table because it can convert to just a regular dresser and you can remove the changing table topper. For their room, we wanted to invest in nice furniture that can grow with them, like their cribs that can convert to full size beds down the road. 

In the top drawers, we keep burp cloths (within arms reach from the glider!), bibs, and socks in the left side (with a drawer divider) and then rattles (to keep a baby entertained during diaper changes if they're fussy), and extra wipes, diaper cream, changing pad liners on the right.

In the big drawers in the middle and bottom, I've used these drawer dividers (SO handy for big wide drawers!) to divide up the space for things like plain white onesie that they wear to bed, long sleeve rompers and footed PJ's, tops and onesies, pants, sweatshirts, and now bathing suits and rash guards. If they're going through sizes quickly, it's a good idea to divide the drawers into sizes too so you can jump to the next size easily when you need to!

I've used this label maker to label everything too so that if other people are helping out or putting laundry away, they know where everything goes! I'll try to share a better picture of our drawers on Instagram because I know when I was trying to figure out how to organize it all, I felt so lost! I love having a lot of their everyday clothes in the drawers though because it makes it easy to change them right after I've changed their diaper since everything is all right there!

Close up of the mirror (one of the first things I bought for the room) and a rare time that I'm holding both boys after their nap! I still have the banner from our baby shower above their cribs because I just haven't found any artwork that I love yet, but hope to find something for that wall soon!

 We are lucky to have two closets in their room so this one is for their clothes and accessories and the other closet is more for storing things like diapers, wipes, sheets, towels and all of their old clothes that I just can't part with yet! We have these shelving cubes in both closets (4 cube in this one and 6 cube in the other) and since I took these pictures last week, I was organizing all of their Easter basket goodies on the top part that I use as a little shelf too. We keep shoes and hats in the baskets on the bottom shelf and blankets in the middle two.

I use these sizing sorters so we can keep everything organized by size and since they're going through sizes so quickly, it's always nice to have an idea of what we have for the next size up! Right now, there's a polo for Robbie in there because I got ones for the babies and wanted him to wait to wear it until they can fit in theirs and all match! (Also, keep in mind it might look like a lot because there is two of everything!) For the most part, I typically dress the twins in matching outfits because it makes it easy to just have them in the same thing and also because I know I'll only be able to have them wear matching clothes for so long. Hoping to share another post soon on some of my favorite places to shop for little boys clothes!

Shop our Nursery:


Shop of our favorite books:


Shop the twins' closet:


STAY IN TOUCH!