Vtech Video Monitor Review

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of VTech Communications. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I had my first baby, I had a plain old monitor.  The kind where you hear the baby cry and that's it.  I *might* have been one of those moms who thought video monitors were unnecessary.  Well, then I decided it was time to move my little one to a toddler bed.  At the next consignment sale, I bought a video monitor!  I bought the Summer brand infant monitor.  It was nice, but there were several features I felt like it was missing.  I would have loved to have a monitor that could pan and zoom (especially now that I have two little girls in one room on opposite sides of the room.  I also wished it had a handheld set that I could take with me around the house. 

So needless to say, I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to review the Vtech VM333! 

This camera can pan up to 270 degrees and has 2x zooming capabilities.  It also has high video resolution and sound quality up to 1000 feet!  (I haven’t tested the 1000 feet yet…it’s quite snowy outside, but it’s worked great all through our house!)  It has a 2.8 inch video screen and an intercom system that allows you to soothe your baby (or tell your toddler to lay down and go to sleep!) without having to enter the room. 

In trying this monitor, I was glad to have something to compare it to.  It really is a nice little monitor!  The panning function is fantastic and the sound works great.  It is SO nice to be able to see both girls when they’re trying to go to sleep at night.  I can see who is sleeping, who is playing, or even who’s getting out of bed to play with toys.  My girls can hear me when I talk to them and I can hear them loud and clear if they’re awake…even if they’re trying to talk quietly.  If I hear a sound in the night, I can turn on the video and check to make sure they’re both okay. 

The Vtech VM333 also has some neat features I haven’t had in other monitors.  It has an option for the monitor to vibrate when there is sound which is pretty neat since you don’t always want to be hearing the white noise that’s going on in the baby’s room.  It also displays the temperature and you can set it to alert you if the temperature in the room is too high or too low. 

As far as the video function goes, I’d give it an okay rating.  It’s not terrible video, but compared to the Summer monitor I was using, it’s lacking quite a bit.  The screen is smaller (okay since it’s on a handheld set!) which causes some of the blurriness, but it is also a pixelated.  I definitely wouldn't call it high-resolution.  I don’t know that I could tell if my daughter was laying there with her eyes open or closed if I wanted to.  Also, the zoom function is pretty much useless.  It makes it so blurry, you really can't see much at all.  These things really don't bother me in my situation, but might bother some people, especially if they are expecting images like the ones shown in the advertising.  I've included a couple pictures to show you what I mean.  Granted, these photos are definitely worse than how it looks in real life, but they give you a closer idea of what you'll see with this monitor.  

 

Here, you can see my 2 year old's crib.  I can tell that she's laying down and not moving around, but I can't really tell if she's asleep or not.  

Here, you can see my 3 year old in her toddler bed.  I could tell she was sitting up.  I could also tell she'd removed her pajamas.  I was able to use the intercom function to tell her to get her jammies back on and go to sleep!  

Overall, I’m very pleased with the functionality of this monitor.  I’ve definitely fallen in love with the ability to see my daughters’ entire room and watch both of them during bedtime!  If you’d like to learn more about Vtech products, I’d encourage you to Follow VTech on Facebook and Like VTech on Twitter.  

Sleeping Like a Baby: How to Sleep Peacefully During Pregnancy

Sleeping while pregnant is hard.  I am currently 28 weeks pregnant and since week one, I've struggled to find a position that works well for me where I can fall asleep and stay asleep.  I have now been through several different pillow "arrangements" and I found one I LOVE and would like to share with you all.  I hope it helps!

First of all, I have this giant U-shaped pillow.  I was blessed with it by a friend and am so grateful!  It supports my back, my belly, and my knees.  I tried sleeping without it last weekend and it just wasn't the same.  My husband loves it too!  Okay...he doesn't really love it, but he loves that I'm getting more sleep because of it.

On top of that pillow, I place two other pillows.  I struggle with really bad heartburn during pregnancy and sleeping with my top half elevated helps a little.  The top pillow here is a memory foam contoured pillow.

I picked up two of these a couple years back at a Black Friday sale; one for me and one for my husband.  Well, he decided he didn't like his.  That's where the next key element comes in.

I sleep on top of his memory foam pillow turned sideways.  I was really struggling with my giant brown pillow "getting away" in the night.  Although I liked it, it would slip out from under my belly or away from my back and I'd wake up uncomfortable and have to pull it back in.  By sleeping on top of this contoured memory foam pillow, my belly and back have constant support because it can't get away!!!  

I love the sleep I'm getting now that I have this setup.  My hips aren't hurting nearly as much (because of the brown pillow in between my knees), my back and belly are comfortably supported, and my head is elevated properly.  It's beautiful!  I usually only wake up once per night to flip over whereas before, I'd wake up 5-10 times each night.  I'm feeling more rested and I love it!

Here's how the final product looks.  I hope this helps some of you pregnant mommies out there find a more comfortable way to sleep!

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Fabulous Fall Fridays #9

Have I mentioned that I love fall?  It's so exciting to watch H really appreciate it this year and get excited about the changing colors.  This is a video of my favorite road in my hometown during this time of year.  It's not a fancy road, but there are older homes and and older, bigger trees.  And they're beautiful right now!  

Now I know you're not supposed to take videos while driving, but since it's a smaller side street, I did it anyway this morning.  

I think this is a good reminder that with all the decorating we do for fall, God is still the very best decorator of all!  Nobody can beat what He does!

Halloween: A New Perspective

Growing up in a conservative Christian home, we quit celebrating Halloween when I was around preschool age.  We would turn off all the lights and snuggle up with a movie while trick-or-treaters would pass our house.  Later, our church began having harvest parties and we'd go to those.  When I got married, my husband's family also didn't participate in Halloween, so it was just a given that we wouldn't as a married couple either.

Now, with a three year old who asks lots of questions, we've explained a little bit about what Halloween is and why we don't participate.  I have assumed this would be how we'd live the rest of our lives...until yesterday.

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Messes Make Memories: Guest Post!

Today, I'm guest posting over at The Purposeful Mom.  Here's a small bit of what I'm sharing.  

A small kitchen, a hot oven, a dangerously powerful mixer…not exactly the place for a small child, right?  Actually, it’s exactly the place!  

Baking with your children is something that can not only bring joy to all of you, but also teaches children skills like measuring, counting, the science of where their food comes from, how to follow directions, clean-up skills, and helpfulness.



Continue Reading over on The Purposeful Mom's website!

Wordless Wednesday #4

Inspired Holiday Bundle

{This post contains affiliate links} 

The holidays are quickly approaching and with many ways to celebrate between October and December, you might start feeling a little stressed and uninterested.

   

 Do not let this holiday season slip by! Make each moment special and gather the inspiration you need from the Inspired Holiday Bundle - 25 products for holiday inspiration at only $25. You save over $125!

Personally, I can't wait to read some of the e-books in this bundle!  This was put together by a group of ladies I greatly admire and who do great work.

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