I first saw the First Years Take and Toss Spoons at Babies R Us when I was doing my baby registry. I kind of wondered why someone would need disposable spoons. How hard is it to just take a regular spoon with you and bring it back? Fast forward 6 months -- my baby is almost 5 months old, and has just started eating solids. My husband and I are taking my mom out to dinner for her birthday, and baby will need to be fed during that time. I took one of his regular infant spoons and wrapped it with Saran Wrap, and put it in the diaper bag along with a jar of baby food.

At the restaurant, I got ready to feed my son. First of all, the Saran Wrap was so tightly wrapped, we couldn't get the spoon out. When we did manage to break it free, it flew onto the floor. Now we had a dirty spoon. I ended up going to the restroom to rinse it off, then came back to our table and wiped it with my napkin. After feeding him, I had to wipe the spoon off with my napkin again and put it back in the diaper bag. If only someone made disposable spoons that I could just throw away when I was done with them! Wait -- they already exist!

The Product
The First Years Take and Toss Spoons are sold in a pack of 12 assorted colored spoons. They are part of a line of disposable infant and toddler feeding devices. Other products include snack containers and sippy cups. They are all color coordinated so you can have matching sets.

The Shape
These are shaped to fit an infant's mouth, meaning the bowl of the spoon is shallow and somewhat narrow to fit into a small mouth. The narrow shape allows baby to pull the food off of it easily. The edges of the spoon are also rounded to prevent any scratches or cuts in baby's mouth when he is eating. This is a small but important touch because some plastic infant spoons have rough edges that can injure baby's tender gums.

Durability
The Take and Toss Spoons are very durable. You can dispose of them after use, or you can just wash and reuse them. They are top rack dishwasher safe, so you can wash and sterilize them in one step. Another touch is that they are microwave safe, so you can also sterilize them in a microwave steam sterilizer.

Value
I think these spoons are very affordable. I bought mine at Walmart for about $2.50, and I believe they were about the same price at Babies R Us. You get 12 spoons at about 20 cents each, which is a deal! I bought 5 "regular" Gerber spoons for $4.99, so losing one of those is definitely more expensive than losing one of the Take and Toss spoons.

Versatility
The First Years Take and Toss Spoons are great to keep on hand in your diaper bag. I also keep a couple in the glove box of my car in case I forget to repelenish the diaper bag stock. I use them for feeding my baby fruits and veggies, but you can also use them to mix cereals or even for mixing formula. In a pinch, I have also used them as a "toy" to entertain my child while I was changing his diaper. The bright color of the spoon kept his attention while I changed him.

Final Thoughts
At first glance, I didn't understand why someone would want disposable spoons, but now that I have a solid-eating baby, I get it. Not only are they easier to carry and use, but they are much more hygenic because you don't have to worry about getting food on the inside of your diaper bag or carrying something to wrap your dirty spoon in. Just use it and toss it when finished.

You can buy these spoons at most mass merchandisers, Babies R Us and Toys R Us, and even some grocery stores. Just look in the baby feeding section. You should also be able to find the matching cups and bowls too.


www.firstyears.com



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