Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Baby Shower: Evenflo Savvy Parents Gift Pack Review & {GIVEAWAY!!}

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I packed up our 2 year old and headed to Georgia. I am an unpleasant traveler, especially being pregnant, and usually our son starts getting angry within 10 minutes of being stuck in his car seat. Between being uncomfortable, the mess, and the boredom, traveling typically doesn't seem worth it. However, this trip was important. It would be the last time we would be able to make it to Georgia to see my husband's family for a long time with a baby coming soon.
I received a travel pack from Evenflo that really helped. A car organizer kept my son's snacks and toys next to him for easy access and without piles everywhere else in the car. Snacks and a fun Fuzzy Bee book kept my son distracted and quiet, the 'Baby on Board' window shade prevented a lot of screaming from having the sun in my son's eyes. The car dust buster from Black & Decker kept me sane. At gas stations, I was able to vacuum up all the snack messes and keep that traveled in scent out of our car.

Speaking of traveling, Evenflo conducted a survey among parents. Check out some of the things they learned:
  • More time on the road often puts safety concerns into high gear. And it can trigger tears of frustration – in kids AND parents.
  • The biggest worry parents have when taking car trips is that their young child will be harmed in a collision (76%).
  • Integral to a safe ride is proper car-seat installation, but a full 65% of mothers and 72% of fathers encounter challenges when installing car seats.
  • And – oh baby! – nearly half (49%) admit that installing the car seat caused them to sweat more than actually making the baby did!

The Seat Feat

Talk about a pain: 60% of moms and 63% of dads confess installing their car seat was challenging, while 5% of moms actually compared the experience with going through labor. And the challenge doesn’t end when the seat is installed, parents expressed other car seat frustrations: Adjusting car-seat straps got parents in a tangle the most (60%), followed by making sure the straps were tight enough (48%). It’s no surprise, as a third (34%) of parents say their child has wiggled out of their car seat and one-fifth of parents admit this happens at least once a week.

Stemming the Tide of Tantrums

All parents hope for a smooth getaway when heading out for a family road trip. So after safety, what do moms and dads worry about the most? Some 48% of parents worry about keeping their child entertained while in their car seat, 34% worry that their little Houdini will wiggle out of the car seat and 32% worry their child will have a temper tantrum. But preparation and creativity is the key to keeping car-seat-strapped kids happy: 72% of parents stock the car with toys, 54% rely on Cheerios and Goldfish snacks, 46% sing silly songs, 36% play DVDs and 27% keep books on hand. Happy kids can sometimes mean messy cars! Of the Cheerio-chompers, 37% leave behind at least a dozen Os in their seat after a road trip, and 11% leave enough for tomorrow morning’s breakfast bowl.

Pot Holes and Potty Mouths

Let’s face it … parents are humans and are not exempt to frustrations of the road! Parents admit that when in driving mode they don’t always take the high road: Almost three-quarters (74%) of moms and dads admit to cursing at another driver in their child’s presence, while 28% have flipped the bird, and 21% have rolled down their window to scream at another driver. While 30% of parents say they never swear in front of their kids in the car, 61% say they sometimes let the loose language fly.

And talk about a “wheel” distraction: attending to a baby while driving causes 38% to miss their exit once in a while, and 12% to miss their exit often and has caused 38% of parents to get lost.

WIN IT!!
Evenflo has generously offered one of our lucky readers the Evenflo Savvy Parent's Car Kit ($100 value!!) which includes:
  • $25 Gas Gift Card, a little treat for mom and dad
  • Moist Wipes, for quick car clean up
  • Baby Mirror, to check out rear-facing baby while driving
  • Soft Book, to secure safety of passengers when thrown during tantrum
  • Kid/Parent Friendly CD, to inspire a family sign along
  • Car Dust buster, for hunting down cheerios between seats
  • Window Shade, to keep the hot summer sun out
  • Animal Crackers and a Snack Trap, to carve cravings
  • Car organizer, to keep it all arranged neatly!

Mandatory entry:
Visit Evenflo, watch a video, and then come back here and let us know what you learned or enjoyed.

You must complete the mandatory entry before doing any extra entries.
Extra Entries (Leave a comment for each entry):
1 Entry: Follow our blog publicly (found on right sidebar).
1 Entry: Subscribe to our blog via reader.
1 Entry: Become our friend on Facebook AND update your status with link to this giveaway.
3 Entries: Post about this contest with a link back to our blog AND a link to Evenflo (Leave a link back to your post in your comment).
1 Entry: Follow us on twitter and tweet this contest. You may do this once daily (always leave the link in your comment).
2 Entries: Add our button to your blog.
2 Entries: Add our Baby Shower Event button to your blog.
Good luck! Contest ends on September 2nd at midnight. Winner will be announced September 3rd.
Winner will be chosen through random.org. Open to US only.

Please be sure to include your e-mail or have it in your profile so I can contact you if you win. Thanks!

We are not compensated for our reviews. We receive product(s) for free so we can provide our experience. These are our honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

84 comments:

  1. I read that many car seats are installed incorrectly? That's why we developed "Safety. So Simple!" as a solution to help parents facilitate proper car seat safety, car seat installation and use. Safety. So Simple! amypugmire@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have your blog button. amypugmire@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have your blog button 2. amypugmire@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have your baby shower button. amypugmire@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have your baby shower button. 2. amypugmire@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. follow on twitter and tweeted. amypugmire@live.com
    http://twitter.com/1amypugmire/status/22096882205

    ReplyDelete
  7. i really like the video "how to repair your husband's bruised ego" too funny...i love the wife's face and how he's all "I think I'm just too stressed" HAH

    -lauren
    lauren51990 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. follow you on google

    lauren51990 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I enjoyed the How to Avoid Becoming Extreme Safety Parent, it was funny how he was taping up everything, carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I liked the How to Repair Your Husbands Broke Ego video! The 'who's your daddy' part was hilarious!! :)

    april_vereb@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. twitter follower, @carafferty and tweet http://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22109579557
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I was amused by the "How to Repair Your Husband's Bruidsed Ego" video.

    thiamaria at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. follow publicly
    thiamaria at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. subscribe via reader
    thiamaria at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. button on blog #1
    thiamaria at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. button on blog #2
    thiamaria at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I liked "How to Rapair Your Husband's Bruised Ego". I was very amused by it :)

    carolinejaco@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I liked "How to Rapair Your Husband's Bruised Ego" too funny!

    ReplyDelete
  19. https://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22187893172
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I really like "How to Avoid Becoming an Extreme Safety Parent". Love that he's stapling pillows to table legs!!

    musicalmaestro {at} gmail {dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I subscribe via Google Reader

    musicalmaestro {at} gmail {dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I follow

    musicalmaestro {at} gmail {dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  23. http://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22277997086
    carawling(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I enjoyed the How To Bruise Your Husbands Ego video- very clever and comical.

    aprily99@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Subscribe to reader

    aprily99@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Button on blog

    aprily99@yahoo.com

    azhardy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Button on blog

    aprily99@yahoo.com

    azhardy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Button on blog

    aprily99@yahoo.com

    azhardy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Button on blog

    aprily99@yahoo.com

    azhardy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. http://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22377606166
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  31. https://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22452271926
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I liked the "How To Repair Your Husband's Bruised Ego" video. lol!

    supermegs28 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I follow publicly!

    supermegs28 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I subscribe!

    supermegs28 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Your button is on my blog! (1)

    supermegs28 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Your button is on my blog! (2)

    supermegs28 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Your Baby Shower Event button is on my blog! (2)

    supermegs28 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  38. http://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22535151931
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  39. My fav is the How To Bruise Your Husbands Ego video jk{dot}gorcery{at}gmail{dot}com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I subscribe via reader jk{dot}gorcery{at}gmail{dot}com

    ReplyDelete
  41. the extreme safety parent was really silly. Unfortunately I know some parents that could probably have done that video, seriously

    ReplyDelete
  42. http://twitter.com/cneiding/status/22563809728 tweet

    ReplyDelete
  43. www.clarissaneiding.blogspot.com button

    ReplyDelete
  44. www.clarissaneiding.blogspot.com button for shower

    ReplyDelete
  45. I follow you on Twitter (@jkgorcery) and I tweeted: http://twitter.com/jkgorcery/status/22567835744

    jk{dot}gorcery{at}gmail{dot}com

    ReplyDelete
  46. i learned you don't need to bubble wrap the car to be safe evenflo has a side impact carseat
    nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  47. http://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22610949731
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  48. Learned that 5% of women are so apprehensive about car seat installation that they associate that with pain of labor! Wow!

    --Brandy
    fosterbrandy(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  49. Follow through gfc
    --Brandy
    fosterbrandy(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  50. Follow through google reader

    --Brandy
    fosterbrandy(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  51. Nichole Seiler: I saw the How to Avoid Becoming Extreme Safety Parent movie. I thought it was hilarious. % point safety harnesses are great for kids in the car and they don't need bubble wrap.

    mommy.n.girls@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  52. Nichole Seiler: subscribed to blog

    mommy.n.girls@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  53. Nichole Seiler: have your button #1
    www.theseilerfamilyblog.blogspot.com

    mommy.n.girls@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  54. Nichole Seiler: have your button #2
    www.theseilerfamilyblog.blogspot.com

    mommy.n.girls@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  55. Nichole Seiler: have your baby shower button #1
    www.theseilerfamilyblog.blogspot.com

    mommy.n.girls@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  56. Nichole Seiler: have your baby shower button #1
    www.theseilerfamilyblog.blogspot.com

    mommy.n.girls@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  57. http://twitter.com/cneiding/status/22669334861 tweet

    ReplyDelete
  58. http://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22700983119
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  59. I enjoyed the video about the husband's bruised ego. Hilarious.

    smrtmouse at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  60. http://twitter.com/SeeZappy/status/22789434319
    thiamaria at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  61. http://twitter.com/carafferty/status/22797300202
    carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  62. I have to say I loved the "husband's bruised ego". lol
    (not pregnant just gmail)

    ReplyDelete
  63. I follow publicly.
    (not pregnant just gmail)

    ReplyDelete
  64. I follow subscribe in Reader
    (not pregnant just gmail)

    ReplyDelete
  65. http://twitter.com/cneiding/status/22822006174 tweet

    ReplyDelete
  66. The How to Recover from a Potty-Mouth Moment video was hysterical! But it's my hubby who has the potty mouth. tylerpants(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  67. I watched the "How to Repair Your Husband's Bruised Ego" and loved watching him struggle with the seat! (I know that's horrible to say, but I've fought with my fair share of them too!) I learned that the Evenflo seat is simple to install though!
    mommastaci33 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  68. I follow your blog.
    mommastaci33 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  69. I have your button.
    mommastaci33 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  70. #2 I have your button.
    mommastaci33 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  71. I have your Baby Shower button too.
    mommastaci33 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  72. #2 have your Baby Shower button. Thanks!
    mommastaci33 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  73. I loved the How to Avoid Becoming Extreme Safety Parent video...very funny!

    ReplyDelete
  74. I like the How to Rapair Your Husband's Bruised Ego it was actually funny!

    ReplyDelete
  75. follow twitter and tweet http://twitter.com/SaraMama/status/22856262494

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting. We sure do like you.