Thursday

Summer Time Babies!


One of the best things Vegas hotels has to offer for families is their wonderful swimming pools! The perfect place to relax at the end of a long day of walking up and down the strip or the ideal way to spend an entire day is emerged in the cool waters! Check out several pool reviews or look into the pool(s) offered at your hotel. I am sure you will want to spend some time there. And now, Las Vegas Baby Equipment Rentals offers pool and toddler floats, as well as pool toys. Don't forget the sunblock!

Car Seat Rental Agencies

There are a few things you should know about renting car seats from a car seat rental agency:

First, take a moment to read this investigative report about what one mother found out about the treatment and condition of car seats used by rental car agencies, imparticularly Advantage Rent-a-Car.


It has been my personal experience that car rental agencies are in the car rental business and will do their best to make sure you have a great rental car- unfortunately, they are NOT in the baby equipment rental business and can not make any guarantees about the car seats that they rent.

Here is a photo- personally taken: This is how they sanitize the car seats they rent at a rent-a-car company in Las Vegas. First they use the car seat tether straps to attach them to a chain-link fence and then they use the same pressure washer they were just using to wash the rental cars to hose down the car seats. I'm not quite sure, hose water is going to kill germs or protect the integrity of the car seat straps.


We ARE in the business of renting baby equipment and do our best to provide high quality, super clean, and top safety-rated infant and toddler car seats! We can guarantee that you will receive a car seat that will keep your most precious family members safe while you are on vacation!

Monday

Babysitters

I am asked all of the time if I offer nanny or babysitting services. Unfortunately, Las Vegas Baby Equipment Rentals only offers the gear! But, I have stumbled upon a great website that might be able to help you out... http://www.sittercity.com/ The great thing is, the services offered by Sittercity can help you with housesitting or petsitting at your home while you are away, and they can connect with you a babysitter for while you are on vacation. Many of the sitters have a background check on file, a picture and a brief description of themselves. Good luck with your trip planning!

UPDATE: I now personally know a woman who works for a nanny company. She is wonderful! Ask me about Sandra when booking your reservation!

Car Seat Selection

We offer several different types of car seats and some people are thinking, "How do I choose the right car seat for my child or visiting grandchild?" Here is some specific information about each of the car seats that we offer. Please make sure that you choose a seat that is age, weight and height appropriate. If you need help deciding, please call us at (702) 343-7933 and we will be happy to answer any additional questions.

Infant Car Seat
We offer the Graco Snugride 2 infant car seat. This seat is typically designed for infants up 0-12 months. However, the baby should weigh between 5 and 22 lbs. and be less than 29 inches. Infant car seats can only be used in a rear facing position.

Convertible Car Seat
A convertible car seat can be used in both rear or forward facing position- making it compatible for both infants and toddlers. We use the Britax Marathon convertible car seat. In the rear facing position this seat can accommodate infants 5-35 lbs. The seated shoulder height should be 9.5-16 inches (This is the measurement from the child's rear end up to their shoulders). In the forward facing position, the child should weigh between 20 and 65 lbs. and have a seated shoulder height of 12-16 inches. Please remember that all children should stay in the rear facing position until they are 20 lbs AND one year old.
Forward Facing Car Seat
The Graco Nautilus is designed to accommodate children in the forward facing position only, meaning it is appropriate for children over one year in age. This car seat provides the safety of 5-point harness for children 20-65 lbs. The Graco Nautilus can also be used as a high back or no back booster for children up to 100 lbs.
High Back Booster
The Graco Turbo Booster is a belt positioning booster seat. It does not have any harnesses or buckles. It works with your cars seat belt to prop toddlers up to a safe height. The high back booster can be used forward facing only and is designed for children 3-10 years. The weight recommendations for this seat are 30-100 lbs. and the child should be between 38 and 57 inches tall.

Backless Booster
The Graco Backless Booster is another belt positioning booster seat. It is suitable for children ages 4-10 years old who weigh between 40 and 100 lbs. The height recommendations for this seat are 40-57 inches.

Tuesday

Some family fun things to do in Las Vegas

Moving to Las Vegas with a family-oriented mind was difficult, because when most people think of Las Vegas they think of casinos, gambling, the "strip"- adult entertainment. I was quite surprised to find so many fun things to do. Aside from the strip, there are lots of parks with play structures, swings and water features. There is a zoo but I would never go there again- if you have been to any other zoo, this is a joke. There are chickens running everywhere and the animal pens appear to be to small for the animals housed in them- it's a sad and gross place. There is also the Red Rock Canyon or the Boulder City train. On the strip, there is the M&M factory where you can take a tour and buy any color of M&M you can imagine. There is also Circus Circus- an indoor circus with free circus acts performing throughout the day and games and rides that are appropriate for about 3 and up. There is also the dolphin habitat at the Mirage that is more than just dolphins- there are also numerous big cats. Another great place is the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay where there are lots of sea life creatures. The Excalibur also has a great dinner show with knights and horses. For older kids there are rides and arcades at the Stratosphere and the New York, New York. If you are staying with family and would like a night out, some of the casinos, including The Palms, The Orleans and most of the station casinos (you can check their webpages) offer hourly childcare for children 6 weeks and up. These are great places with separate rooms for kids under 2, with more focused care. The "bigger" kids can play in the free roam area where there is a huge jungle gym, karaoke, art, basketball, and several other activities. These centers can fill up- especially the younger rooms- so call ahead for reservations. There are lots of other things to do with families here in Vegas, but hope this information is helpful and provides a good starting point.

For families who are new to rentals

As a mom to two boys, I know that traveling with kids requires extra packing- If they are still little, they need something to sleep in, they need a car seat, they need a stroller, possibly a tiny tub, and of course toys or some sort of entertainment. It is impractical to lug all of that gear with you. Now, there is an alternative- Baby Equipment Rentals. The gear that we use for rentals is all kept in great condition. Each piece is meticulously cleaned and checked for safety when it is returned and again before it goes out. Not to mention, we only carry JPMA certified products- this includes brand names you probably use in your own home- Britax, Peg Perego, Graco, Fisher Price, Evenflo and more. Like I said, I am a mom and would not rent an item out that I would not use with my own kids- meaning it needs to be safe and clean. I hope you find this information helpful and look forward to helping you with all of your little one's traveling needs!