Sally Huss Bibs Review & Giveaway!

I decided. Rice is the absolute worst thing to clean up after a toddler is done eating. I used to think it was broccoli. No, it is rice. It glues itself to every surface and then quickly dries up. When you go to pick it off, it pulls everything else with it: fabric, hair, skin.

But T Junior loves to eat “bice.” And I stupidly give it to him.

A few nights ago, we had sticky rice and what we jokingly call chicken candy. (Orange chicken from the frozen section at Costco, which is so yummy and easy to make, by the way. Hmmm…maybe a future review.) Normally, if we have rice, I dread clean up.

So after dinner the other night, I was delighted to hear Mr. T exclaim, "No rice on your pants! Good job, buddy!" while I was loading the dishwasher.

I looked up as Mr. T removed T Junior’s new bib. "It's because that bib rocks!"

"This bib does rock," he enthusiastically agreed. Seriously. I never thought we'd get so excited over a bib. Who are we?

Oh yeah, parents.

But these bibs that my mom gave T Junior do rock. There's no other way to say it. Well, no other short way to say it. The long version:

I am so in love with these bibs that I contacted the artist who designs them. I've never done that before for this blog. But I decided in 2010, when I like something, I am going to find out more about it and share it with YOU. I want to make life easier for us. And, as Elle Woods would say, “funner!”

Turns out, that's basically Sally Huss's philosophy, too. The artist and author (and tennis champion/instructor to the stars!) is all about happiness. Her artwork is colorful and whimsical. One of her paintings was even on the wall in the White House, according to her Web site.

A couple of days after I e-mailed the company for details about the bib, Sally herself, sent me the information I was looking for plus offered to donate a bib to give away (details at the end of this review). I didn't expect to hear back from the designer! Then, as I was writing my review one day, my cell rang. It was Sally! Just calling to make sure I had everything I need. What a pleasant surprise!

The bibs come in two sizes: Stage 1, for 3-12 months, and Stage 2, for 6 months and up, and are available at her e-store, fittingly named, The Happy Store. T Junior has two Stage 2 bibs.

"I've done over 100 designs in all the time I've created the art for the bibs," Sally told me in her e-mail. "Each line is replaced by the next. So at any time there are 6 designs in the small size and 6 in the larger size. All are fun and happy like all of my art."

I love Sally’s bright and cheery artwork on the front of the bibs, but I also appreciate the logistics of how these bibs work. The front of the bib is slick, the back is matte and soft. According to Sally, the bibs are made of a non-toxic vinyl. I've found that almost no food sticks to them. Not rice, not spaghetti, not even Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Food that doesn't quite make it into your child's mouth simply slides down into the pocket.

But this is not your average bib pocket.

First, allow me to gripe about bib pockets. Just for a sec. In my experience, most of the pockets on bibs don’t stay open and the food falls into T Junior’s lap anyway. Or, the food gets in the pocket and then I have to stick my hand in there to clean it out later. Or, I can’t get it out and there’s a nasty build-up of old, dried pieces of hot dog and macaroni. I've seen some hard plastic bibs with pockets that stay open, but I never purchased one because they seem bulky and difficult to store.

The Sally Huss bibs have a patented button closure that creates a pocket. The buttons turn the fabric into what I would describe as an upside down triangle so that the pocket opening does what it’s supposed to do: stay open to catch food.

This is why we didn’t have to pick sticky rice off of T Junior’s jeans after dinner the other night. Instead, I took the bib off, walked to the sink and simply unsnapped the pocket to let the rice fall down the drain. Then I ran the flattened bib under the hot tap. I set it on the counter and dried it with a towel. Voila! Done! No extra laundry, no disgusting food remnants all over my hand.

Because it’s so easy to clean, I don’t need the 20 cloth bibs that I was rotating from kid to laundry a bazillion times a day.

I admit, though, that the first time I went to re-snap the pocket, I panicked a little. I thought, Crap! How was this buttoned? But it only took me about 5 seconds to figure it out because they color-coded the buttons so you can see which ones match up. Smart!

Turns out I’m not the only one that happened to. "You should have seen Kirk Douglas figure out the snapping pattern to make the pouch," Sally said in her e-mail. "He wouldn't let me show him. He was playing with the bibs that were destined for his son, Michael and Catherine Zeta-Jones', new baby at the time."

I’ve never met Kirk, of course, but I can totally picture this! Can't you?

**

RECAP: SALLY HUSS BIBS REVIEW

• Featuring whimsical bib designs by artist Sally Huss
• Made of a foldable non-toxic vinyl that repels sticky food and stains
• Smart inverted triangle pocket stays open and can be unsnapped for easy cleaning
• Kirk Douglas gave one to Michael and Catherine!

SALLY HUSS BIB GIVEAWAY

Want one?

Win one! Here are the rules: Entering is quick and you can get up to 3 entries. The giveaway will end Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010 at 5 p.m. PST.

1. ONE ENTRY: Check out Sally Huss’s Happy Store, here. Leave a comment below telling us what you liked on the site and then introduce yourself to everyone!

2. ONE ENTRY: Become a follower of Sanity Department! Leave a comment letting me know you are a new follower. If you already are a follower, just mention it in a comment. If you don't have a blog, go to "Get Sanity Department" on the right of this page and subscribe by e-mail. Then leave a comment letting me know you did!

3. ONE ENTRY: Tweet it or share the giveaway on your Facebook status. Let your friends with toddlers know about the giveaway. And...you guessed it! Leave a comment letting me know you did.

Easy peasy!