Got Juice? Nuby's Super Spout Easy Gripper Review

Hello everyone! I know I said I was going to be better about keeping my blog updated, but I found that extremely difficult to do while finishing up grad school. I have two great things to share- first off, I did it! I now have my Masters in Teaching and I couldn’t be more relieved. My journey was a long one and is a story for another post (coming soon!), so I’ll skip ahead to my next bit of positive news- 

I have yet another Nuby product to share with you!

Ryan is now 10 ½ months old and we are starting to wean him off of a bottle altogether. He has gotten to the age where shaking the bottle full of formula is much more fun than actually drinking from it. When he went into his shaking frenzies, it made a huge mess. I decided it was time for a change, and I found the perfect product to help little Ryan through the transition!

My son has a few sippy cups, but his favorite is Nuby’s Super Spout Easy Gripper!  

 It has a soft silicone spout that is easy to use and helps babies like Ryan who are in the middle of transitioning. Our favorite part about the Super Spout is that Ryan can hold it without a problem. The easy-grip base is perfect for a his little hands to grip! 

The cup is very easy to clean, unlike other sippy cups we have tried. The valve is built-in, so we don’t have to take the sup apart to clean it thoroughly. The Super Spout promotes the natural drinking action and healthy oral development. That means a lot to our family because our little guy already has eight (you read that right, EIGHT!) teeth. The cup’s valve opens with minimum pressure and doesn't require constant sucking that can damage his new little teeth. We don’t want to give him anything that puts this precious smile into jeopardy!

You can purchase your own Super Spout Sippy Cups at BuyBabyDirect or on Amazon! I think i may have even seen them in stores like Walmart. Check there first, just in case! I promise you will not regret this purchase! Go get one pronto! Sorry it has been so long since my last post, folks. I will be updating again within the next day or so!

 Disclosure:  I was provided samples to facilitate this review at no charge in exchange for my honest opinion.   No monetary compensation was or will be received between Mediocrity Will Never Do and the sponsoring company.  I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.  

Check out Nuby's Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Also, have you liked Mediocrity Will Never Do on Facebook? Make it happen so that you are aware of a sweet giveaway that will be coming soon! Get your friends to do the same!

Sailing Away- My Everyday Battle With Chronic Depression

Some days are so much worse than others. Some days, everything you touch falls to pieces and everything that could go wrong goes wrong. Some days you find yourself mumbling, “I can’t wait for this day to be over,” even though it’s only ten in the morning. We have all had days like those, right? I know I have days like those, and when I do, everybody knows it. I am such a crybaby! Maybe I need to start passing out invitations, because I really do throw myself pity parties all.the.time, and when I do, they are complete with streamers, balloons, and cake and ice cream. I throw some ragers, but I know that my friends are getting tired of attending. Why? Because the music sucks. And people get tired of hearing the same old sad song they hear at every other pity party that I’ve thrown.

I feel like now is the perfect opportunity to explain some things about myself. I love to blog about my family and things that all of are accomplishing as the years go by, but I don’t frequently open up to the internet world about my feelings or things that I am going through. That changes with this post, because keeping things bottled up inside is KILLING me.

First of all, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and a severe anxiety disorder when I was 18 years old. I have always struggled with my emotions and stress management, but I was highly against medicating for issues like that. I wasn’t raised in a home where people took pills every day, and I looked down on the "pill popping world".

It took me a few years to suck up my pride and seek help for things I was going through. Things were becoming unbearable and so hard to deal with… small things would stress me out so badly that it felt like there was a weight on my chest, and it was so heavy that it would squeeze all of the air out of my lungs. My heart would race and I’d struggle to catch my breath until I worked myself up enough to induce a panic attack. Those are SCARY. It took 12 month of therapy to teach me how to deal with stress and how to calm myself down when I found myself struggling to breathe… literally. Honestly I still have these panic attacks a few times a week, but that's so much better than having them a few times a day.

That’s just the anxiety side of my issues.

The chronic depression is triggered by the anxiety… basically I get stressed out and then I eventually just shut down. I stop eating, I won’t get out of bed, I have no emotions, or I’m mean to everyone. I snap at my loved ones and burst into tears for no reason. I channel my frustration into school or working out, hoping and praying to God that keeping myself busy will allow me to get my mind off of how miserable I am. I start to hate myself because I have SO much to be thankful for in my life. I have been so blessed, and I loathe myself for not being more humble. “You are so ungrateful,” I think to myself, “snap out of it.”

But I can’t.

It’s just who I am… I have bounced on and off of medications since I was a freshman in college. I have tried eating a healthy diet, drinking water, taking vitamins and iron supplements, exercising, seeking spiritual gratification through prayer and scripture study... but NOTHING has worked.

After I had Ryan I went through some serious Post-Partum Depression. I will save the details of that for another post, but it was not pretty. It was really scary, and honestly I am still scared. I am so scared I am never going to obtain the happiness that I have been seeking for so long. I am scared I am never going to fully appreciate my son’s kisses and his toothy grin, or my husband’s warm embrace. I have a beautiful family and I just don’t feel happy. Ever. I have started a new medication called Effexor and things are getting better, but not as quickly as I would like them to. Most anti-anxiety medicines are mind numbing, but I’d rather numb the pain than feel so sad all of the time.

I guess the reason I felt the need to explain myself now is that I know I have been a Debbie Downer on Facebook lately. When I hang out with my friends I am completely aware of the fact that I don’t smile much, and I know I don’t laugh nearly as much as I used to. Maybe it’s because I lost my best friend right before Ryan was born. Maybe it’s from the stress of graduate school. Maybe it’s the chronic depression… Regardless, I need to stress the fact that I am working on myself. I am tired of crying myself to sleep at night and hiding the bags under my eyes with bronzer. I am not blind... I can see my friends' expressions change when I start talking about how stressed out I am. I watch their eyes shift or roll as they uneasily change the subject or tell me jadedly, "You can do it." I can do what? Graduate? Then what? This isn't something that is going to go away when I get my diploma! This is my life! ...I guess I just need my friends to understand what I'm going through right now, what I'll always go through.I need them to know that I have highs and lows and that I need a strong support system on those days when I bottom out. But it's hard to explain those things to people who have never experienced it themselves. Regardless, this post is my attempt to do so.

Please be patient with me, friends. I am getting there. “I’m sailing away. I’ve set an open course for the virgin sea. Because I’ve got to be free… free to live the life that’s ahead of me”. I’ll break these chains sooner than later, and the old Cathy will be back. Remember my loud obnoxious laugh? It’s just on vacation right now, but I can’t wait to hear it again myself. Thanks for waiting with me!

"Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed- For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand."

Teething Bites- Nuby's IcyBite Keys Review

At 3 in the morning I lay down my stack of newly graded papers, pack my bag for tomorrow, and drag my feet as I walk slowly into our bedroom. I collapse into the bed with my clothes on since I am way too tired to slide my jeans off. I think to myself, “I have to be up in 3 ½ hours, and the 15 seconds it would take to get undressed are 15 seconds that I could be asleep.” I set my alarm and plug my phone in before my body shuts down… I’m dead to the world.

Or at least I feel like I could be.

At 3:30 am I hear a shrill cry come over the baby monitor. Ryan is crying out in his sleep for the third time tonight and I rush into the nursery. I cuddle and soothe him, but he peevishly moans and groans all night long in my arms. I am still rocking him in the glider and humming to him when I hear my alarm go off in the other room. It’s 6:30 in the morning. I lay my restlessly sleeping child in his crib, where he immediately begins to toss and turn, so that I can lay his clothes out for the babysitter. I choose a really cute pair of jeans and a onesie that reads, “Teething Bites!” It was fitting.

Ryan has had the hardest time cutting his 4 front teeth! We tried bottles and bottles of Tylenol, teething tablets, teether rings, orthodontic pacifiers… you name it, we tried it. He didn’t really like the teethers that we could put in the freezer because they made his hands get hold whenever he held one of them to chew on it.  He was not a big fan of teethers we could put in the refrigerator either, until we tried the IcyBite Keys by Nuby!

  

The teether is ideal when front teeth (top or bottom) first start to show. Ryan got his first tooth at 5 months and now has all four of his front teeth. This teether has been a lifesaver! It contains nontoxic purIce gel that allows the teether to stay cooler longer than water filled teethers. One Sunday I took it out of the fridge and it stayed cold all the way through our church service that day! The cool textured surfaces soothe and stimulate Ryan's sore gums safely while new teeth are trying to erupt. The teething nubs help massage his tender gums, and the bright colorful shapes keep him entertained for a while! Whenever I take his IcyBite Keys out of the fridge, Ryan smiles so big and jumps up and down in his jumper out of excitement.

   

I have seen this toy sold in many stores, including Wal-Mart, Babies R’ Us, and even Food Lion. They are inexpensive and a great investment.My favorite part about the IcyBite Keys is that it comes on a "keyring" that does not get cold with the rest of the teether. Ryan is able to hold onto it while he chews without getting his little hands cold!

I am so glad that we tried out the IcyBite Keys, because we are no longer subject to the long, sleepless nights we had to endure. Now whenever Ryan cries, I am able to give him his teether so that he is able to soothe himself back to sleep. That way the baby is happy AND mommy is happy. Can’t beat that, right?

 Disclosure:  I was provided samples to facilitate this review at no charge in exchange for my honest opinion.   No monetary compensation was or will be received between Mediocrity Will Never Do and the sponsoring company.  I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.  

Check out Nuby's Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Also, have you liked Mediocrity Will Never Do on Facebook? Make it happen so that you are aware of a sweet giveaway that will be coming soon! Get your friends to do the same!

St. Patrick's Day Shenanigans (And a History Lesson!)

This year has brought about the most enlightening and educational St. Patrick’s Day that I have ever experienced! I am student teaching right now, and my cooperating teacher is Irish. He actually met his wife in Ireland, so on Friday he decided to give a quick Irish history lesson to our students in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this weekend… He captured the students’ attention by telling a story of the Dullahan, a decapitated mythical creature from Ireland that rides a horse around the Emerald Isle, and he did so in a very thick Irish accent. It was awesome! I’ve learned so much this year, starting with the fact that Washington Irving stole the story of the Dullahan from the Irish when he wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. That’s right, folks. The Dullahan was the original headless horsemen.

The Dullahan- A headless fairy that carries his head underneath of his arm as he rides on a black horse. The head's eyes are small, black, and constantly dart about like flies, while the mouth is constantly in a hideous grin that touches both sides of the head. The flesh of the head is said to have the color and consistency of moldy cheese. The Dullahan's whip is actually the spine of a human corpse. Creepy, right? Here’s a picture of him:

When the Dullahan stops riding, it is where a person is due to die. The Dullahan calls out their name, at which point they immediately perish. There is no way to bar the road against a Dullahan because all locks and gates open on their own when it approaches. Also, they do not appreciate being watched while on their errands, so they throw a basin of blood on those who dare to do so. How rude!

The “Wearing of the Green”- I also learned that the Irish have not always worn green on St. Patrick’s Day. They originally wore blue, the official color of the Order of Saint Patrick, a British order of chivalry that existed until 1921. Green didn’t become the holiday’s official color until the 1700’s when the Irish began wearing green for good luck. They thought that the green would please certain fairies and they would help the Irishmen to have a good crop season!

The Shamrock- St. Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to teach about the “Irish ruffians” about the trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost).

Saint Patrick Himself- St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish, he was British! The British actually controlled Ireland for a long time, and they restricted the Irish from celebrating any Pagan holidays. The British allowed the Irish people to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because it was not a day that celebrated their heritage at all. In the British king’s eyes, it was a day that celebrated a British man that brought Christianity to the Irish people!

I love history.

On a more fun note, we threw a Saint Patrick’s Day party and it was awesome. Here are some pictures:

Making Feeding Fun- Nûby SoundBites Spoons

Ryan will be 8 months old soon, and he has been pretty interested in feeding himself lately. Green beans, teething biscuits, cinnamon apple puffy snacks, and other finger foods have slowly edged themselves into his diet along with all kind of baby foods. His current favorite is a toss-up between macaroni and cheese and chicken and rice, but he has been known to eat both for dinner in one night. My little crumb cruncher makes a lot of messes when he eats, especially since he has started grabbing for the spoon so much while he eats! If he doesn’t feel like I’m giving it to him fast enough, he grabs it as if to say, “Here, mom, let me help you out.”  Needless to say, Ryan spends a lot of time in his highchair. 

 Another saga in the Epic Highchair Battle includes our struggle with Ryan’s short attention span. It’s about the size of a gnat and it can be difficult to get him to focus on eating! Sometimes he just refuses to open his mouth, especially if he hears Mickey Mouse of daddy in the next room. We have tried playing peekaboo, blowing raspberries, tickling him, forcing it in his mouth, etc (the list goes on and ON) but to no avail. Nothing could get his attention.

 At last, we tried an amazing product that would help us dramatically while feeding our little one his favorite foods. It is for this reason that I am recommending the Nûby™ soft tip Sound Bite™ weaning spoons to all of my followers! The soft tip spoon is perfect for delicate gums and the deep bowl allows mom or dad to get just the right amount of food on the spoon. The train, cars & airplane designs come with their own great sounds to help you keep your baby’s attention for longer while feeding. 

Ryan has the airplane spoon and he absolutely loves it. I wish the sound was a little bit louder, but he definitely enjoyed his breakfast this morning when we used the spoon for the first time. The plane, car, or train snaps off of the spoon so that you can throw it in the dishwasher when you are finished! I love that the spoon is deeper than spoons designed by other brands because his highchair is not covered in baby food when we are done feeding the baby. Nûby™ soft tip Sound Bite™ weaning spoons make mealtime fun and I highly suggest you get yours today! Each pack comes with one plane, car, or train and two spoons. 

You can purchase one for your child at Best Baby Gear, and they are on sale today for $4.95! You won’t regret this purchase! Nûby™ never ceases to amaze!

Disclosure:  I was provided samples to facilitate this review at no charge in exchange for my honest opinion.   No monetary compensation was or will be received between Mediocrity Will Never Do and the sponsoring company.  I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

On History Majors

For those of you who don’t know, I will be graduating with a Masters in Teaching from VCU this May! I got my Bachelors in History at VCU, and I cannot stress to you enough how much I hated sitting in my history classes throughout my first 4 years of college. It was nothing personal, really. I loved all most of my professors and I adored all of the familiar faces that turned into friends near the end of my senior year. The content was great and my appreciation for history grew each time I finished a course at the university. I learned a lot about the subjects I was studying, but I learned even more about history majors themselves. I would like to pass my intimate history-major-related knowledge on to my readers.

History majors love to read. Okay, maybe that’s a pretty broad statement… I’ll rephrase it. History majors have to learn how to love to read. Seriously. I remember the second semester of my sophomore year being complete hell because I took three upper level history courses at the same time. My social life was non-existent (see next paragraph) and I lived on a steady diet of aspirin and Mountain Dew. I had a never ending headache because all I did was stare at the readings online all.day.long. I’d sometimes have to read 80 something pages a day. Per class!

History majors have no friends. We only have our books… our sweet, dusty books. #HistoryMajorProblems 

History majors like to hear themselves talk. So many classes have dragged on and on as some bearded hipster droned endlessly about the Hippocratic Method, the assassination of the Archduke, or the major impacts Jim Crow laws had on 20th century America. I’m not going to lie, I have walked out of class in the middle of their monologues before. I really think it’s the professor’s responsibility to tell them to shut up, since I am paying the professor to educate me and not the grubby hipster, after all. I am so convinced of this one that nobody can tell me otherwise, which brings me to my next point.

History majors always think that they are right. In order to prove it, they write books about why they are right. Then they write books disputing other history majors’ opinions. Then those history majors write books disputing the books that disputed their original opinions. It’s endless.

We love what we do, and that is why we are so passionate about it. Do you honestly think we would hole up inside of our cluttered studio apartments to read about the Great Potato Famine if we weren’t genuinely in love with history? Do you believe that we are only history majors because it’s “not a real major” and we are “too lazy” to major in something like biology or engineering? No, no. I am here to tell you that not everybody could be a history major. It’s tough, and I learned just how tough it was by jumping through all of the necessary hoops to earn my degree in it. 

You have to LOVE history to MAJOR in it. If the passion isn’t there, you are going to have a hard time sticking to it and graduating. Hopefully I can instill the same love and passion that I have for history into my future students! I would be elated if a few of them evolved into bearded hipsters, droning on and on in class about what they love.