Product Review: JJ Cole Diaper and Wipes Pod

Gimmick or great? I wasn't sure of the answer when I bought the JJ Cole Diaper and Wipes Pod last week as an attempt to lighten my load.

A little background: I am the type of person who puts my stuff in with the diaper bag. I can quickly fill a diaper bag with everything but diapers. I bought a bigger diaper bag to accommodate two kids, but, I just filled it with my own stuff, even before Eva was born. It wasn't organized in a way that benefitted me either. But, no matter what bag I have, I realized I needed to change my strategy when it comes to what I carry.

The majority of things I do and places I go, do not require me to carry tons of diapers at once. Even if I am going to be out all day, I am not usually far from my car. The JJ Cole Diaper and Wipes Pod holds a changing mat, small wipes case (you buy separately or buy the travel pack of wipes) and a few diapers (2-4 if you really stuff). It has a handle so you can carry it easily or hang it off a stroller. It is also small enough to fit inside a diaper bag or bigger bag and it keeps the diapers from getting mashed.

The day after I bought it, my mom took Ian to a play. I couldn't go because I had a terrible headache. I just handed her the Pod and off they went. On the trip, I used the pod constantly. The changing mat isn't plush (that would be too big and defeat the purpose), but provides a barrier between your child and the floor of the car (where I changed Eva) or the baby changing stations in public restrooms (where I changed Ian).

There are other versions of this product like:

Diapees and Wipees
Patemm Pad
Diaper Clutch

The most innovative is the Patemm Pad, many of the others are basically fabric envelopes. It is interesting because you expand and contract the concept of a diaper bag and can get to the same place. I would have liked to see the Patemm Pad in person to compare to the JJ Cole Wipes Pod, but it wasn't at the store. I think it might be bigger than I want. I liked the JJ Cole version because of the small mat and attachability. Also, it was available at Babies 'R Us when I wanted to buy it.

So the question becomes, if you contract your diaper needs into a small JJ Cole Diaper and Wipes Pod, do you really need a bigger diaper bag and if so, what for? Well, I think you do need a bigger diaper bag for longer trips and to hold the Pod and messy things like sippy cups, snacks or bottles. Many are either washable or have removable, washable liners. Also, the good ones are designed to hold the bottles, cups and snacks. However, you can find non-diaper bag bags that will work for your needs if you'd like. I think I will go back to my smaller diaper bag when I go back to Korea. I am going to keep my heavy planner and extra diapers and wipes in the car or perhaps get a small purse for my things and put them and the wipes pod in a sling tote type bag. I like having my things the kids' things together because it is only one bag to remember instead of two. Easier to carry one bag instead of two. However, the exact combo is yet to be perfected. I will experiment this summer and update.

Roadtrip!

We just returned from Eva's first roadtrip. We were supposed to leave on Saturday, but my friend got sick and I had a headache so we didn't leave until Sunday. My mom went with us instead of my friend. We had to make a much shorter trip as a result cutting out planned excursions to Savannah, Richmond and DC. The two main objectives of the trip were to let my sister see Eva and bring Roxxy to live with my sister.

We took two days to get down. Both kids did very well. Here we are at a rest stop:



We decided to leave Roxxy in Georgia with my sister and her dog because apartment living in Seoul is just not good for her. Plus, Teddy, Kate's dog, is lonely. They have a big yard and dog=friendly neighbors. There are dog parks to visit as well. It was hard to leave her, but the right thing to do, Kate is in medical school, so we may end up with both dogs at one point as well when she starts her residency. Ian cried on the way home,"I don;t want Teddy to have a friend. I want Roxxy with us."

I told him we didn't have a yard and he said,"We have a yard in Pennsylvania."

"Yes, but we are going back to Korea and we don't have a yard there."




The return home was not as smooth. We went home in 1 day and Eva did really well the first 17 hours, but the last two were rough. Yes, she mainly eats, sleeps and poops, but someone is almost always holding her. She was over the carseat! Ian fussed more as well, but at 2.5, he is bribable. When we arrived home, Ian was asleep so I put him in his crib. Eva was awake so we floated in the bathtub and then I held her closely all night. This morning, she was smiling.

Potty Time: First Underwear

A few weeks ago, we went to a playdate where one of the kids peed on the potty. All the adults clapped for her and then Ian and Ramey ran to the bathroom and wanted to go as well. I was in the other room and Tanis called out,"Ian peed on the potty."
Well, he peed on the floor because he was on a little girl's potty without a splash guard, but close enough! Ramey went as well. I was so inspired, I bought Ian his first underwear. I told him about it, but didn't put them on since we will be traveling soon.

Two weeks later, we went back to the same playgroup and Stella peed on the potty again. Ramey ran right to the bathroom and she peed again. Ian said,"No thanks."

However, later that day when we got home, he took off his diaper and told my mom that he wanted to pee on the potty. She put him on and he pooped! Then, he asked for his underwear. I put them on and he walked around for about 20 minutes before peeing on the floor. He cleaned it up and asked for more underwear! He lasted longer the second time, but we put him in a diaper before he went outside. This gives me hope for the big potty push when we get back. When I really start, though, we are going to stay home for a week and wear underwear all the time and from that point on, wear underwear. I will have to bring changes of clothes and more underwear.

I only have a three pack of underwear at this point. I need to get more!

Eva's Retro European Fashion Show

All these were my outfits from Germany.

Baby's First Road Trip: Plan B

We (Eva, Ian, my friend and I ) were supposed to leave this morning on a road trip to Georgia to see my sister and take my dog to live with her while we are in Korea (another post on that later). Unfortunately, my friend got sick yesterday and I was struck down with a blinding headache. My headache is a bit better today, but I didn't get any of the preparations for leaving done, yesterday.
In the original plan, we were going to stop and see friends in Richmond, VA and the DC area on the way back. Neither stop is really "on the way", though.

In the revised plan, we are going to leave tomorrow after church and my mom with go with me instead of my friend. We will not be making the additional stops on the way back. It will still be a long haul (over 13 hours if we didn't have kids and dog), but not as long because my mom needs to be back. I was going to just do it on my own, but since she offered, it will be easier with another adult.

Before and After: Part II

Before:



After:


Belly photos by my friend Colleen.

Before and After

Before:



And After:


The maternity photos are by my friend Colleen taken a week before Eva was born. If you are in Erie, check out Colleen. She is very affordable and gives you the disk with your edited images so you can print as many as you want or just share electronically.