What I didn't get was a catcher's mitt and the quick reflexes of Anna Kournikova.
Sidenote: Pregnancy didn't give me her body either. Its a cruel, cruel world.
So, to the rescue, the Drop-It-Not. I heard about it from a friend who happens to be the daughter of the inventor. She asked me if I'd use it and give it a solid, honest review. Of course I agreed. I like stuff and things. I like writing. I like writing about stuff and things.
Hey Apple, I hope you're reading this. I'd love to test out the iPad 2 for you. And other stuff and things.
But realistically, I've bought a lot of things since having my child that turned out to be just plain crap, and other things I can't live without. So if I can help someone else make better decisions, why not?
Anyhoo. Since we are in the middle of a move, Jack is spending the majority of his days in a carseat, stroller, or pack-n-play, I figured now was the perfect time to test this puppy out. Well, its not so much a puppy as it is a monkey. With long colorful arms. I could sit here and describe what it looks like to you, but thanks to the magic of the internet, I can show you.
There's a snap on top of the arms long enough to reach around car seat loops, restaurant high chairs, home high chairs, pack-n-plays, strollers, umbrella strollers, baby gates... so far, anything that I've wanted to attach this thing to, I've been able to make it work. And for a baby who moves faster than drivers at the redneck left turn extravaganza, I need and have attached this thing in some pretty weird and unconventional places.
I have been using a similar product by BooginHead, but its a bottle holder and only allows me to attach one item. Its been a good purchase so far, but I don't want to have several of them hanging off Jack's stroller to keep his stuff organized. Plus, moving more than one to secure to other seats, chairs, carts, etc., can get to be a hassle.
The bottle featured in the picture (which I took from the product website), is a Nuby and the contour makes it the perfect brand for the loop straps on the legs. However, Jack uses some no name brand spill proof sippy cup with no contours, but the strap can be adjusted tightly enough that no matter how hard he throws it, his cup is secure.
And boy does he love throwing it. I think this is single-handedly the most frustrating piece of baby gear he has encountered. There's something about the satisfying crash of a bottle, a toy, or a snack cup on the floor that just makes Jack laugh maniacally as I sigh and bend down to pick it up. But now he looks down to investigate WHY there was no crash and no sigh, and you can see the disappointment, frustration and determination on his face.
At restaurants and stores, I don't have to worry about his teether or sippy cup hitting a nasty floor mopped nightly by apathetic minimum wage paid employees with water the people dying of thirst in the desert would refuse. At home, I can put Jack in his high chair near me with his food and drink and go do something (like wash dishes from his last meal) knowing I won't have to keep running to catch his Gyrobowl and his milk. In the mall parking lot, the used cigarette butts and discarded condoms are of no concern since the Drop-It-Not keeps his stuff well away from the ground.
Sidenote: Who has sex in a mall parking lot and enjoys it enough to have a smoke afterwards?
Its machine washable if you choose (and I don't buy things for Jack that aren't machine or dish washer safe, so this is a major plus), durable as hell (I have pulled and pulled on the arms and legs to test them and its very well constructed), and colorful. The monkey is plush and soft, which Jack seems to like as he sinks his teeth in. And, its good for almost anything.
Things I've attached to the Drop-It-Not: Bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, teethers, snack cups, woobies (small security blankets), toys with loops or holes, and my dog. The last one was by far the most fun and a really good test of endurance and quality of the assembly. Its darn good. Its Jack-Jack and American Eskimo tested and approved good.
In short (and on a more serious note), I have to give the Drop-It-Not a great review. I like the fact that I can attach two items with one product (though I have had a sippy cup on one and two toys on the other loop) and the snap together arms are large enough to accommodate and attach to a variety of surfaces. I love how it keeps whatever happens to be connected within reach of my son, off the floor and away from germs and bacteria. Its well made, durable, easy to clean, compact (I carry mine in my son's diaper bag), and VERY useful. The only suggestion I could see to improve upon the design is a way to adjust the length of the legs, longer or shorter. It would be a bonus, not something that's necessarily needed. Overall, with my second child on the way, I'll be ordering his the day he is able to hold his own bottle.
If you're interested, you can visit the product website at http://www.dropitnot.com where you can read more about it, see pictures, and order one for yourself.
And to Ms. Schradzki: Please invent the Keep-It-To-Yourself, an updated version for Dads that fits around their waist with at least 10 loops that hang down where my husband can keep his wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and hammers since he refuses to use the dozen or so toolboxes he just had to purchase, and instead keeps all his crap on my kitchen counter.
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