One Finger Touch

Getting to play with the toy soldier ornament
Originally uploaded by bunnyfabulous

As I look back at Christmas and the entire season with a tree full of breakable ornaments and tons of toddler eye candy (a.k.a. 'I want to touch it' candy), I am ever more thankful for an idea shared with me by a wise mom friend called 'one finger touch.'

Her daughter MB is two years older than mine, and like Li'l Girlie, she's a very tactile kid. To help MB satisfy her curiosity in stores without breaking things, my friend would tell her daughter before entering a store whether it was 'no touch', 'one finger touch' where MB could touch things, but could only use one finger to do so, or she could touch anything (very rare).

This accomplished several things. It prevented unnecessary tantrums, near-constant 'no's', and MB having to wonder each time whether she'd be admonished to not touch something each time she tried. Plus, one finger touch helped MB learn self-control while still satisfying her curiosity in a safe, appropriate manner.

One finger touch has worked great with Li'l Girlie. We didn't have to move any of our ornaments higher on the tree...though I did put 'safer' ones that she'd be interested in at eye level, and I feel comfortable taking her into most any store without worrying about her being destructive.  She did get to play with the toy soldier ornament on our tree; we lifted the one finger touch rule for that, and she had a ball with it.

Being paid to shop

How fun is that?  I'd mentioned that I started couponing a number of posts ago, and it's really been saving us a lot of money.  Our grocery/household/personal care expense savings are hovering around 47% as of 2 months of couponing.

When I talk about it with friends who don't coupon, one of the questions I get the most is 'do you end up buying a lot of stuff you don't need?'  Here's my answer: I only buy stuff I don't need if it's either free and it's something I can give to a food pantry or other charity OR if I can make money by purchasing it.  Extra bonus if I can give it away.

One of my fave couponing and good-stewardship-of-your-finances websites is Money Saving Mom.  Here's her post giving readers a heads up on how to make $13 on Bayer meters at Walgreens as well as how to get free Lipton Tea and Theraflu.  I'm not diabetic, but I can certainly use $13 and give a glucose meter to charity so that someone who can't afford a meter can have one.  Everybody wins!

Teaching a Toddler about Christmas

From a young age, we want Li'l Girlie to be hearing the real story of Christmas and learning why we celebrate it. She's 22 months old this Christmas, and some of her favorite things (like most kids) right now are books and Fisher Price Little People toys. Playing to those interests, I found a couple of things that would be great for her for this year, but we could continue to use as she gets older.

The children's ministry director at our church --a mom of three herself, and a children's book aficionado -- recommended Patricia A. Pingry's The Story of Christmas for toddlers and preschoolers to tell the story of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, wise men and of course Jesus' birth in an easy-to-understand manner. Li'l Girlie likes it a lot, especially since there are animals and a Christmas tree in the book. It ties in why we give gifts; to show our love and to celebrate Jesus' birthday. My personal opinion is that it would benefit from adding at least a paraphrase from Luke: "for today a Savior is born, which is Christ the Lord." Something about why baby Jesus is so special. Just my opinion. Maybe Pingry left it out so that parents could fill it in.

Our other Christmas story purchase was the Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set.  We have some lovely nativity sets, but none appropriate for toddler playtime.  She likes pressing the angel on the top of the stable to hear 'Away in a Manger' and she's learning who Mary, Joseph and Jesus are.  As she gets bigger, we can use the figures to act out the story.  Fisher Price also has the Three Wisemen and the Inn at Bethlehem sets, but we've also been on a tighter budget this year, so for us, those will be purchases for another year. 

The tradition that we started last year (when Li'l Girlie was too young to even notice) was making a birthday cake for Jesus.  This year, I let her squirt some of the frosting on the cake before I wrote the words.  She was nonplussed.  Oh well, hopefully seeing the finished cake and the happy rejoicing and eating will be a little more fun.  We still have yet to break out the cake today. 

I wish you a very merry Christmas celebrating our Savior

Erin

Bike!

Yes, after all my talking about the Strider Running Bike, we finally got one for Li'l Girlie.  Her Grammy and Grandpa gave her one as an early Christmas gift, and boy has she taken to it.  She knew what it was immediately, signed 'bike', did a little happy dance and threw her leg over it.

The folks at Strider say that most kids walk with the bike between their legs first, then gradually learn to trust the seat and their balance and start zooming from there.  That's pretty much the pattern we've seen with Li'l Girlie.  She's just starting to coast for a second, so we can see the real speed coming just around the corner.

We've been extremely pleased (as has Li'l Girlie) with the Strider so far.  She's learning balance that most kids don't learn for another couple of years, and she's so confident riding her bike.  She'll never use training wheels (the bane of my learning to ride a bike experience), and will transition straight to a regular bike once she gets big enough.

The bike's adjustable enough to fit a child as young as 18 months to your average 5 year old, and as an added bonus, it's a whole lot cheaper than the other leading pedal-free bike brand.

Here's Li'l Girlie in action. Look at her go!

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm most thankful for God's giving me what none of us deserve - life in Him.  I'm thankful for my dear husband, daughter, and spending time with my family this Thanksgiving.  We're all a bit off center, but then again, isn't everyone?  ;)  I hope it's a time where you can have at least a moment between the turkey and football games to reflect on what you've been given. 

Happy thanksgiving, y'all. 

Kitchen Giveaways Galore

So I've already given you the heads up about The Five Fish's Step 2 Kitchen giveaway in my last post.  Just so happens that there are several other opportunities to win a Step 2 Play Kitchen out there right now from some top mommy bloggers' sites.  You've got to hurry, though, most of them are only open until the end of November or soon thereafter.  

Here's the scoop on each.  Look for their blogs' buttons on the left as well:

First, Our Ordinary Life'sStep 2 Deluxe Kitchen and Give-a-way runs until December 1st.  Our Ordinary Life (Kristen) is a test drive mom for Frigidaire (which by the way, is sponsoring a Creative Kids in the Kitchen contest in conjunction with Step 2) so she knows her kitchens.  Her review of the Step 2 was just as positive as The Five Fish's.

Another great giveaway where you could win the Step 2 Deluxe Kitchen is on Amanda - A Stay at Home Mom's Point of View's blog.  Amanda took some great photos of her kids' kitchen to give you an idea of what the accessories and features look like.  She also remarks about the easy assembly.  Her giveaway runs until Nov. 30th.

Lizzy at Lizzy Dear's Life is holding a Step 2 Lifestyle Party-Time Kitchen Giveaway, also open until December 1st.  Her kids have really enjoyed playing with theirs, and Lizzy says that it's the perfect size for a play kitchen; not too big, not too small. 

Finally, if you're looking to win the granddaddy of all play kitchens, Two of a kind, working on a full house's Step 2 Lifestyle Grand Walk-in Kitchen Review and Giveaway is not to be missed. She takes great photos of the kitchen's amenities and talks about the ways in which her son plays with it.  It keeps him entertained for hours.  Apparently, it's not TOO big, and it even has a slighly squooshy faux hardwood floor.  Can I have that for my kitchen?

These are some great opportunities to win a big Christmas gift for your kiddo(s), but even if you don't win, I hope that you're able to get some great deals to help your gift budget stretch farther.  Check out the rest of Step 2's great toddler toys too!

Fishing for a Great Gift? Catch this Giveaway

Toys that keep your child entertained for hours are worth their weight in gold.  Ones that foster imagination, creative play and allow for several kids to play together are even better.  Another mommy blogger whom I've started following, The Five Fish, recently reviewed such a toy, the Step 2 LifeStyle Deluxe Kitchen.  She should know about the multiple-kid, multiple ages playability of this toy -- she has twin toddlers and a 6-year old who've all loved it.

And, she's giving one of these fab kitchens away, courtesy of Step 2.  Read her review and enter the giveaway for a chance at your child enjoying the cool food & utensil accessories, realistic appliance sounds and lots of storage space for all of his/her culinary creations. . . for free.

Li'l girlie is already interested in kitchen play; she empties out her cupboard in my kitchen daily and one of the few recognizeable-to-the-general-public words is 'bowl'.  She loves bowls, especially the one on our salad spinner.  I could see her going nuts over this kitchen and its play food and dishes, and I'll probably play with it a ton too if we won, truth be told.  I love to cook, and am excited to continue fostering a passion for it in my daughter.

Thanks for giving away one of these awesome toys, Five Fish!   We all love the opportunity to get free cool toys like this for our kids to foster their imaginations.

Coupons - this girl's new best friend

Blue Coupons
Originally uploaded by kyz

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be searching the internet for coupons and actually like it. There are several reasons for this newfound passion -- other than me being off my rocker -- but that's another topic for another time. ;)

This started with the fact that I've been looking for something to help bring in some money that I could do from home. On facebook, my friend K often posted about the great deals she'd been finding and how much money she'd been saving by couponing. Not just $10 per grocery trip, but around 40% or more of her grocery budget. Plus, she was getting some items for FREE. I dig free.

After an evening's tutorial from K, I got the gist of what was involved in saving all this $$$, and it's become a motivating challenge to see how much I can save each month and how cheaply I can get stuff that I'd normally use. It's the thrill of the deal.

On top of that, I've figured out that so far, as I total up how much less money I've spent by using coupons and sales together and stocking up on items when they're dirt cheap that I'm saving around $50 for every hour I've spent on couponing. Much better than most part-time super-flexible jobs than could be done around a toddler's nap schedule. The amount of time I spend is really doable for me too.

I'll tell more about my adventures in couponing and share what I've found to be helpful. Would love to help you save the big bucks too. For now, I'm off. It's pizza night in my house and I'm starving.

2 hour vacation

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  Lately, I've felt like it, though.  I've had a lot on my plate lately with learning to coupon to save tons of money on my grocery bill (more on that in an upcoming post), preparing to move and lots of other life stuff that I won't bore you with.  It's been really easy to feel under the pile.  The state of my desk lately has been a visual representation of that feeling.  ha.

Even when things are rolling along smoothly, (remind me, when does that happen??) one of my favorite times of the week is the 2 hours on Saturday morning where my husband plays with li'l girlie and I go to my yoga class.  Not just any yoga class, mind you, but a small community class (read:  affordable) that's held outside in a gazebo in a lovely wooded area.  The combination of being outside, having time to myself and doing strengthening and stretching that is both relaxing and challenging refreshes me mind, body and spirit.  As my breath and movements are focused, it's a time where I can let my mind dwell on the beauty of creation around me and be thankful for what God is doing in my life, even if that has been tough as of late. 

While yoga itself may not be your cup of tea, I bet there's something else --a bath, a trip to a coffee shop by yourself, etc.  -- that would recharge you and help you keep your sanity in the hectic pace of life.  Take a couple of hours (or as much time as you can spare) to do to take a little 'vacation' to refresh your spirit, even when it doesn't feel like you have time.   Do you have time to burn out and crash?  I don't either, and I'd rather take the enjoyable time away to prevent that. 

Plus, it's great to see the smile of your child when you return with renewed energy and joy in your life.  Li'l girlie's face when I come home from yoga is a picture of wide-eyed sunshine as she snuggles up to me in greeting.

Strider Running Bike -- another giveaway!

I know I just told you about the Strider Running Bike the other week in my Giveaways post, but just had to mention it again because agiveawayeveryday.com is now holding a giveaway for one!  The moms running this site find some of the best mom/kid gear to review and give away.  Check out some of their other giveaways while you're at it. 

Because Strider bikes don't have pedals or training wheels, they help teach kids the most important skill of bike riding -- balance in such a fun and effective way.  I'm trying to win the giveaway, but if I don't, maybe Samantha's grandparents will get her one for Christmas.  (hint, hint, Mom ;)  )  In addition, me losing might mean you winning!  Here's a video of Strider Running Bikes in action to give you more of an idea of how kids use it, even before age 2!


A big brother teaching his younger brother some moves...

Top toys for 12-18 month olds

Fun with the Fisher Price Learning House
Originally uploaded by bunnyfabulous

How did it get to be halfway through October? I haven't seen a Christmas ad yet, but I know they're coming; lurking out there in the way-too-near future. Usually I'm trying to get gift ideas together by now so that I don't feel pressured to think of something at the last moment. Does it always work? No, but at least I get my gift shopping list somewhat organized. :)

I know I appreciate idea lists for different categories of people for whom I'd be buying presents. So this year, I put together a list of top toys for 12-18 month olds for you. I know, it's only one age group, but I've got to start somewhere. This is the most recent stage that Samantha's gone through, so it's fresh in my mind. So, if you're doing toy shopping for a young toddler this will hopefully give you a bit of a head start in thinking of a fun, age appropriate gift. 

Have another toy that your 12-18 month old has loved to play with?  Let me know! 

O-Ball

This is one of those toys that'll last a kid from infancy all the way through their teenage years. It's a few bucks well-spent. My daughter has been playing with her O-ball since she was around 6 months old. Here's what the play has looked like at each stage:

6 months:  Mostly chewing on it and batting at it when I hung it above her with some plastic links.  It was easy for her to grab and shake too.  Daddy also liked mindlessly throwing the ball in the air and catching it repeatedly as he was thinking or talking.  Samantha liked to watch.

Crawling:  it's easy to chase and get a good handhold.  Throwing the ball and giggling when it bounced was popular.

Just starting to walk:  throwing the O-ball down and chasing it.  Liked holding the ball and gnawing on it during diaper changes.  Pointing to the circles in it.  Smooshing the ball down and watching it go back into a ball shape.  This elicited giggles as well.

20 months:  Our new favorite game is 'throw the O-ball in the bushes and take it out'.   The title's pretty self-explanatory.  The O-ball is light enough that the circles catch on the branches for easy spotting and removing of the ball from said bushes by the toddler herself.  :)  One of her buddies likes to play 'ball up', which is basically tossing the O-ball straight up in the air and chasing after it when it lands.  We'll see what other games the kiddos invent as they get older.

What I like most about this ball:

- Very durable.  Its strong, flexible plastic can take a beating from being squooshed, stepped on, and chewed.

- O shapes make easy handholds, especially for kids who are learning to carry things, catch, and throw.

- Very lightweight; if someone gets hit with this ball flying through the air, there's much less chance for injury than many other balls. 

- Interesting shapes and bright colors; visually stimulating for young children (and adults too  ;)  )

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Giveaways

In my world, free stuff = great. Free stuff that I already think is awesome or has rave reviews from a trustworthy source = uh, where can I sign up. . .now?

I'm getting into couponing, and in my searching around the internet for good deals, I happened to find The Bragging Mommy, a reviews, features, and giveaways site. The head bragging mommy, Heidi, and her team talk about lots of great kids/moms stuff, and they're very thorough in their personal reviews. I aspire to be like them someday; in my own personal vein of things, of course.

Now for the cool free thing: their Strider Running Bike Review also has a giveaway of a Strider Running Bike. Heidi writes a detailed description of how her toddler son has used and loved his Strider Running Bike, gives you a bullet point list of brag-worthy features, and has a giveaway where your entries make you learn more about the bike and of course, her blog. A little time and effort for a chance to win? Yes. But, if you're wanting to research a great product and get the info on other helpful stuff, it's worth it.

The Strider bike itself is something I wish they'd had when I was little. It's just like a small bike, but with no pedals. The hardest thing about learning to ride a 'real' bike is learning how to balance, and the Strider gives a child the opportunity to learn that skill in a fun, safe and confidence-building way. With training wheels, a regular bike just acts like a tricycle, so balance doesn't develop until the child is actually riding on their own....lots of opportunity for falls. Check out the video to see more.



Hope you think this giveaway and the Strider bike are worth looking into. Wait a minute... do I want more competition for winning the bike? ;)

Naps

I can't say enough about how much I appreciate naps. Mostly Samantha's. I'm especially reminded of this when she doesn't take them. I'm used to having a well-rested little girl whose happy energy carries her through the day, and 2-3 hours of time each afternoon to actually accomplish something -- work, chores, blogging, or even *gasp* a nap for myself!

For the past month, my little 19-month old hasn't fallen asleep for her naptime 2 days each week, which has made her overtired and me falling behind on a lot that needs to get done around the house. (mountain of clean laundry, anyone?) Thankfully, I've felt confident that putting Samantha to bed early on the no-nap days will help her make up at least a little bit of the lost sleep without making her wake up super early.

My trusty Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child book has been a lifesaver in getting through this and so many other sleep challenges in my toddler's life so far and helping her develop better sleep habits. She's in for a lot more running around, active playtime and a slightly earlier bedtime for the next few mornings to hopefully get her nap fully back on track and both of us better re-energized during the day.

Storytime!

Just got back from the storytime at Winter Park Public Library, grateful for the free indoor fun that it offers my active 19-month old and I. To me, a great storytime for this age includes easy-to-follow stories with big pictures, songs, dancing, and hand motions. Sound effects like animal noises and stomping are big winners too. I think the WPPL (Winter Park, FL) dishes these out in the right doses to get toddlers interested and having fun. Plus, there's the big finale of either bubbles or playing with a big basket full of animal puppets. That spells 'instant party' to Samantha.

Yes, I know there are music, movement, and gym classes where kids can learn and explore. I'd love to try one with Samantha sometime. However, for families tightening their budgets or who like the flexibility of only coming when their schedule permits, library storytimes are big winners for interaction with other kids and a variety of learning situations. Not all storytimes are created equally though, so it's worth going to all the storytimes in your area to see which one your child likes the best.

A big bonus is a library that has a play area or cozy reading corner in the childrens' section for pre- or post-storytime activities. It's easy for kids to pick out books from the shelves and want to read with Mommy or Daddy when there's an easy environment to relax in.

New baby

Oh how precious it was to hold my good friend's newborn daughter this afternoon. Her soft downy hair, her sleepy eyes and her tiny baby squeaks were so dear. Sweet little girl, I am so glad you're here.

Ode to my Dirt Devil Kone mini vacuum

Please excuse my rusty and corny poetry skills, but how else do you talk in a halfway interesting way about a home appliance that sucks dust? I think these (or at least some sort of handheld vacuum) should be standard issue for any mom.


O dustbuster, you with your vrooming noise
You suck crumbs off of rugs and toys.
Your power button Samantha loves to press;
At entertaining my girlie, you're quite a success.

So easy to empty, so easy to stow.
How many 'uh-oh's' you've cleaned up, no one else need know.
I can clean up the high chair, the couch and the car
In vacuuming nooks and crannies you're a star.

Cheerios to dried peas, to yogurt melt dust
There isn't much toddler mess you can't bust.
Pickup of small snack spills by hand is at an end,
O Dirt Devil Kone, you are a good friend.

Bouncy, pouncy fun

By this time in the summer, it's felt like we've exhausted most of the ideas for fun places to go and things to do where a mom and a toddler won't overheat...and that are really cheap or free. We've loved the pool, splash pads, and the occasional mall playground, but when my friend M told me about an indoor bounce house & inflatable activity play place that had a FREE toddler time, I jumped (ha ha) at the chance to go.

Our 18-month olds were among the youngest kids there, but they loved to bounce and even go on the 16-foot slides with their moms' help. This place, Ipez, lets parents go on the bouncy stuff with their kids to help, and that made it even more fun for Samantha. We loved giggling with delight together as we bounced and pounced around. I loved it too. I've got a lot of kid in me, so I admit, I'll go back, even to just get my own Tigger on.

If you're not from central Florida, look for these kinds of places near you. It's a blast. Any other ideas for summer fun? Please share.

A green tip for moms that saves money too

When it comes to helping save the environment, I try to do what I can. It's something I believe in, but definitely have the potential to grow in how good a steward I am of the earth's resources. I recycle a lot and am and trying to buy more earth-conscious products.

In my former position at a real estate office taking photos of homes to make virtual home tours, my camera went through AA batteries like a newborn goes through diapers. It was such a hassle to keep buying 'regular' alkaline batteries (not to mention hazardous for the environment), so I bought a charger and several sets of rechargeable batteries to always have a fresh set on hand.

Did you know that the average American family goes through 32 batteries per year? I think that would probably be higher for those of us with kids whose toys suck up loads of batteries. Had I not already had the charger and a couple sets of NiMH rechargeable batteries and seen how much I used them, I would have really wondered if I could save money over 'regular' batteries. So actually, I did a little research and figured out that you can recoup the cost more quickly than I would have thought. I actually made a website about the environmental-friendliness of rechargeable batteries and their cost effectiveness.

Another step towards going green!

Recycle Reuse

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An essential for baby

I just helped throw a baby shower for one of my dear friends who is expecting her first child, a little girl, after over 3 years of trying to get pregnant. Just thinking about my friend and her husband and their joy over this new little one's upcoming arrival sometimes makes me tear up with gladness.

My sweet friend is a practical, fun-loving, stylish and down-to-earth mommy-to-be, who's seen my good, bad and ugly. She's also seen me parenting my daughter from the beginning, so I felt very honored that she's wanted to pick my brain about what I've felt is worth doing and buying for her baby girl.

It's been really rewarding to help her navigate the intimidating array of products out there from my experiences --both good and bad. I definitely got my jump start on finding the best baby gear from the book Baby Bargains. It's like Consumer Reports on steroids for all things pertaining to babies and toddlers. They do tons of research and you get the benefits in an easy-to-read format.

For example, the stroller section has detailed reviews on each company, model, and type of stroller. Then they organize the results by how you might want to use the stroller. Like if you live in say, New York City and ride on public transportation, you'd have much different stroller needs than someone who lives in the country or just wants to use their stroller for short outings.

You'll get the lowdown on price vs. quality for your baby needs, and there's also a section in the book for baby gear that you don't need to waste your money on. Let's face it, there's a large section of the baby gear industry (like the wedding industry) that is full of semi-useless items that you're made to think you need.

The book has a guarantee that it'll save you at least a couple hundred dollars if you follow its advice. They're not kidding. We saved that much on nursery furniture, let alone everything else. If you're having a baby, whether your first or your fifth, this book pays for itself over and over and over.

A sisterhood of mommies

So this past week I'm in the grocery store (Publix for all you Florida folks out there) picking up some last minute essentials. We're almost done and Samantha's just hanging out in the shopping cart, happily playing with a box of Frosted Flakes (buy one, get one free!). As I reach for a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, an urpy-sounding noise causes my head to whip back around. Samantha is vomiting all over herself, her pink shopping cart seat cover, her bunny, her sippy cup and Tony the Tiger. Very slight pause, then she does it again. And again.

She's crying, and I'm trying to help her without getting puke in even more places. A nearby store employee hands me two paper towels and flees the scene. Then two nearby moms, seeing our plight, spring into action. One wheels back to the produce section to get me some bags in which to put our contaminated belongings, and the other produces a handful of baby wipes so I can at least clean off Sam's face and hands.

They are both so understanding, practical and kind. They tell me they've both been there, and are helping the way that they'd want to be helped. I wish I could have thanked them even more than I got to in the store, but I don't have any way to get ahold of them. Two mommies, one with a teenage son, the other with a toddler, thank you for swooping in to save the day; you were definitely a Godsend.

In Flight Entertainment

We just returned from my parents' house in the Chicago area yesterday, which was Samantha's first plane flight. I asked many friends for tips on airplane travel with a 17 month-old and went armed with books, a few new small toys, a water bottle to sip during altitude changes and lots of snacks -- great suggestions, all.

One of the most entertaining objects on the trip for our toddler was a FREE one you don't even have to bring with you; Sky Mall magazine, home of the Retro Hot Dog Ferris Wheel, the Deluxe Cushion Keeper, the Pet Ramp and Staircase and my favorite, the Bug Vacuum. Samantha loved pointing to all the photos of dogs, cats and people, and asked me to identify lots of odd objects, which was entertaining for both of us. I got to learn about Thermostone Rock Covers. Woo hoo!

The next activity was joyfully ripping out pages. After that, we crumpled up pages. The most fun of all was our new game, 'Bah', made up on the fly and the cause of many, many fits of giggles.

Here's how to play:
-The parent wads up a page of Sky Mall and hides it in their closed hand
-Toddler pries the adult's thumb away from the closed fist, then the next finger
-After a dramatic pause, the adult playfully says 'bah' and gently flings the wadded up Sky Mall page at the toddler's face or chest, depending on the child's preference. Samantha liked the face.
-Laughing ensues for everyone

Just a thought for your next plane flight. I'd love to hear about more tips for flying with a toddler, or more fun uses for Sky Mall for that matter.

Crib Playtime

Want to know one of the best combinations ever of time to yourself and a good activity for your older baby/toddler on up?

Crib Playtime -- A.K.A. the Play Nap, Room Playtime, Play Yard Time, Alone Playtime, etc.

When Samantha was smaller, her morning nap was the time where I took a shower and was able to steal some precious time to myself to get something done, read a little, or check Facebook. As she dropped her A.M. nap, I wondered if I'd be smelly and tousle-headed until the afternoon every day or have to get up (horror!) at 5:30AM to be showered before Sam's early wake up.

Enter Crib Playtime. Most every morning, I gather up a couple of Sam's favorite toys that keep her busy and one toy that she ONLY gets to play with during Crib Playtime. She and those toys go in the crib for about 20 - 25 minutes while I shower and dress.

Everyone benefits. I get clean and presentable. Samantha's learning more about entertaining herself and building focus on just an item at a time. We've done Crib Playtime for several months now, and most days she asks for it and plays happily the entire time. Recently, she's liked bringing odd things into the crib with her like a brush and her polka dotted diaper cover. She has fun, so why not?

A friend of mine does 'Alone Playtime' with her two kids. The younger one plays in her crib, and the 4 year old plays in his room while she gets ready for the day.

Gotta love a win-win situation.

Finding humor

Sometimes it's the little things that make you laugh.

I encountered an oversize pink toy cell phone the other day in our church's childcare room that had 'play phone' emblazoned in big block letters across the top by the manufacturer.

Glad they told me. I was wondering why my calls weren't going through. Or were they worried that a parent might get it mixed up with their own cell? ;)

A Home Worth Buying in Any Market

We're so proud. Our daughter became a homeowner at 11 months old. Her grandparents paid cash for it and gave it to her as a gift, so there's not even a chance of her defaulting on the mortgage. Granted, she's taller than parts of its plastic roof and the gutter plays 'the eensy weensy spider', but it's got some of the best features a toddler could want. Mommy likes playing with it too, she has to admit. Plus, it keeps Samantha having fun and learning, so what's there not to love?

We all wonder if we're making a good investment when we fork over a larger amount of money for something, toys included. Samantha and her cousin each have Fisher Price Learning Homes, and both homes have gotten heavy use. Like most toddlers, Samantha loves to imitate what the big people do, so ringing the Learning Home's doorbell, opening and closing the mailbox to get her own little letters, turning a light on and off, and opening and closing a door have been favorite pasttimes.

Of course, there are a variety of not-so-realistic features like a spinning garden with a pink rabbit, a phone book of animals and the aforementioned musical gutter, but those have tons of appeal as well. Here's Sam demonstrating the gutter ball drop in its counting mode:



Like the 'welcome home' song that the Learning Home plays, "you can learn the alphabet, colors, shapes and so much more." through the house's sounds and happy music. Yes, you will memorize most of what the home says, but the phrases and songs are a lot more appealing than most toys. (At least in my opinion; my husband doesn't like them as much, but I'm the one around the house more often. ;) Plus, he likes the sounds of some singing maracas that bug the heck out of me.)

Not surprising to me, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio gave a high rating to the Fisher Price Learning Home (look for the comments with the Learning Kitchen). We've made up a number of games with the home too. I'll knock on the window, and when Sam opens it, her stuffed dog pops his head out and barks at her. Good for lots of giggles. We like hooting like the owl and crowing like the rooster with the night and day dial, and putting junk mail postcards and small toys in the mailbox for each other to discover.

For lots of fun for your 1-year old, it's well, well worth the $60 to $70 for the great times to be had with the Learning Home. Imagine how much you'll get done while your toddler has a blast.

Winging It

Samantha likes to sit on my lap and look at my laptop. Until recently, she's liked watching some educational music videos, but lately she's been fixating on looking at our photos. Today she got really picky about the photos and only wanted to go through the ones of her at the pool, the beach, and the splash pad over and over. Then it got to be the just the pictures where she's wearing her 'flag' swimsuit. Transitioning to another activity got tears each time.

Finally a light bulb lit up in mommy's head. "Sam, do you want to put on your swimsuit?" Instantly her big green eyes were riveted on mine and she frantically signed 'please'..or in actuality 'please, please, please, please'.

One problem: a thunderstorm was headed our way. Think fast, mommy. I grabbed her bucket, shovel and a toy fish, telling Sam we were going to have a fun water adventure. I put on her suit and filled up the tub. She was thrilled to get to splash and play with her pool toys and wear her swimsuit. I squirted her with the shower to pretend we were at the splash pad.

Great fun, and a new activity to add to the rainy day activity repertoire. Wish I could be this good at winging it all the time.

Happy Baby Puffs

With my little gal and I on the go more in the mornings since she's dropped her morning nap, (yessss!!) I've been happy to find something I can put in her Snack Trap that's convenient, healthy, won't spoil and doesn't make a mess. I used to feel like I was limited to Cheerios or risk delving into the high-sugar world of BeechNut or Gerber puffs, or the salty world of goldfish or pretzels.

Enter Happy Baby Puffs, an organic whole grain melt-in-baby's-mouth snack with greens, apples or bananas baked right in. My daughter likes the greens ones a lot, and loves their o-like shape which she thinks looks like a flower. I admit that I've eaten a few and found them appealing. Happy Baby Puffs are fortified with vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, much like the 'big brands' puffs.

More bonuses about these snacks:

- Half the sugar of other brands
- Better value - 40% more puffs inside in a convenient flip-top package
- Green Packaging: Their containers are sourced through a green partnership with Method. They are made with 25% recycled materials, are BPA free, and are recyclable.

I've saved the package to use for storing other small items, and it's great for travel.

Looking for more healthy toddler finger foods? Take a look and tell me what you think. Please share some of your child's favorites too.

4th of July Festivals

Where I grew up, 4th of July parades complete with floats, bands, horses and the Shriners riding around on go-carts were the thing to do. Lots of stuff to keep young kids' attention, but also lots of loud noises to startle them. Even as a 4th or 5th grader, the fire engine sirens were a bit too much for me but all the candy the parade people threw to us on the sidelines was way worth it.

Here around my new 'hometown' in central Florida, I've found a new fun pasttime...a festival a town park. All the stroller brigade was out in full force to listen to a great choir sing patriotic songs, stroll along Park Avenue to take advantage of the AC pumping out through the open shop doors, and to see all the red-white-and-blue clad dogs, carriage horses, people and buildings. Lots of eye candy for a toddler and festival ambiance for parents. Without the carnival rides, this festival was just the right speed for a young family. Plus, it was FREE. :)

While not technically part of the festival, splashing in the fountain was an extra bonus for Samantha. She got soaked and then dirty from sitting on a bare spot on the ground, but it was worth it.

Happy 4th, y'all!

How are you celebrating Independence day with your child(ren)?

Edamame. Your toddler make like it. Really.

I have to say that edamame (steamed young soybeans) was not one of the first things (or even first dozen things) I thought of as healthy finger foods to feed my toddler. The word edamame conjures up images in my mind of furry bean pods, vegetarian cafes, and women who wear long skirts with little bells on them and burn incense. I know people who love eating edamame, but I've never really gotten into it.

We were stuck in a finger food rut with our daughter, and I didn't want to add any more high carb offerings. My husband and I brainstormed other ideas, and edamame made the list. Our grocery store (Publix) had shelled ready-to-eat edamame, so into my cart it went.

I easily popped a handful little beans out of their translucent skins and set them on Samantha's high chair tray like I was giving her some Cheerios and not an unusual vegetable. One went into her mouth, then two, then six. She gobbled up all the edamame on her plate and asked for more.

Steamed young soybeans as a great toddler snack? Who knew.

Plus, they're super-healthy. The United States Department of Agriculture states that edamame are "a soybean that can be eaten fresh and is best known as a snack with a nutritional punch". Edamame contains protein, which further helps stabilize blood sugar, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain a high source of vitamin A, vitamin B and calcium.

Convenient, healthy, and soft enough for an older baby or toddler to chew. They're worth a try; your child might like them too.

Cuddles at the end of the day

Especially as my daughter has been running headlong, giggling and squealing into full-fledged toddlerhood, I've been treasuring the few quiet, cuddly moments we get in her full-steam-ahead days. Sam's not one to sit in your lap for long periods of time or cuddle up to you more than a minute or so because there's so much that she wants to see and do.

As a mommy who has a higher desire for snuggling than our daughter does at this point in time, I really love the end part of our bedtime routine. Here's a little window into this precious time of my day.

After the tooth brushing, bath, jammies, book and prayer with Daddy, I carry Sam upstairs and cuddle her into my lap for one last story. She's already calmed by the familiarity of the beginning of her routine and listens intently to my soft reading voice. Sometimes if I'm lucky, she even leans into my cheek and lets out a sweet little girl sigh.

"Samantha, it's time for bed." I give her a little affectionate squeeze, scoop her up into my arms, then turn on her ocean sounds machine and close the blinds and curtains. Gently I sway back and forth with Sam leaning her head on my shoulder and start singing our bedtime song, the first verse of an old hymn that I love, "Great is Thy Faithfulness". I love holding my warm sweet-smelling girl when she's so still at the end of the day, and with my song thanking God for another day with her. It's a tender mommy-moment for me.

While the sound of Samantha chewing on her bunny in my ear while I sing isn't so appealing, and often right after I lie Sam tranquilly down in her crib she's standing up and jabbering away, I'll take these precious minutes at the end of the day just as they are, thanks.

What moments of your day with your child(ren) do you treasure and store up memories about?

It's Baby Signing Time!

I have a song stuck in my head. You know how it goes; you either hear a song or are reminded of it, and it replays in your thoughts until something else (sometimes another song) finally kicks it out. I've had some pretty useless songs caught in my head, but I'm glad to have the one up there now. It's the theme song to the Baby Signing Time Vol. 1 DVD where all the songs help you and your baby learn signs in American Sign Language (ASL) that a young child would be most likely to use.

I'd wanted to teach my daughter Samantha how to sign because I'd heard how much it helped child/parent communication and lessened frustration on both sides, but I felt intimidated by how to actually learn ASL myself and how to help a baby learn it too. Plus I wondered if it really did work.

Enter the Baby Signing Time DVDs. My library had them, and once Sam and I started watching, I was hooked. Watching the teacher, Rachel, we saw how to do the signs for words like eat, drink, milk, water, cracker, mommy, daddy, dog, cat, diaper and more demonstrated in easy and memorable ways. Each song that taught the signs showed several toddlers signing each word and showed kids doing something having to do with the sign, and adorable cartoon intros to each song made my daughter giggle. Sam's not a girl to get into videos, but she liked these.

Here's an example of how the sign for 'bird' is taught:

Baby Signing Time Vol. 1: It's Baby Signing Time - Preview from Signing Time on Vimeo.

Baby Signing Time made the signs so easy for me to remember, I was pleased at how quickly I could integrate them in how I talked with Samantha. When it was mealtime, I would tell her that it was time to eat and sign 'eat' at the same time, or ask her verbally 'would you like to eat?' while doing the 'eat' sign. As I'd give her bites of food, I'd say things like 'you're eating!' and sign 'eat', and 'yes, we eat cereal' (of course signing 'eat'). At first, this was a very deliberate action on my part to help reinforce my memory too, but after awhile I started signing 'eat' more naturally as I talked with my daughter. After awhile, she caught on, and she started signing 'eat' when she was hungry or in response to my questions of if she'd like to eat.

When she learns each sign, Samantha smiles and seems very happy with herself for learning how to do it, and that mommy and daddy understand her. Of course, sometimes she's happy because the sign gets her food or a toy more quickly, but who can blame her? ;)

Want to learn more about signing? I created a website about teaching your baby/toddler to sign that also includes more info about the Baby Signing Time and Signing Time series and other helpful resources.

Just have to show how my little cutie pie signs. Here she is signing 'more' to ask her grandpa to keep bouncing her in the water:

Fisher Price Little People Animals

Meet some of my new best friends. These cute little critters keep my daughter entertain in quite a wide variety of ways. While a 16-month old doesn't have the pretending ability that an older toddler has to play with Little People animals in the context of their plastic farm, zoo or Noah's ark, she certainly knows how to get the most fun out of them that she can.

Fisher Price did a great job making these animals adorable and sturdy enough to take a beating from a little kid's teeth, being run over by plastic vehicles and from being projectiles. Samantha loves lining up her animals on the coffee table and knocking them off with glee. Lest you think she's only out to give them hard knocks, her polar bear and elephant often have Cheerios and water 'shared' with them. Ever the faithful zookeeper, Sam often busies herself 'feeding' her animals from the plastic bucket of fish that came with her Fisher Price zoo set.

For a child beginning to talk, the Little People animals are a great springboard for learning the names of animals as well as their sounds. One other delightful pastime we found for parent-child play is spinning several animals together, which results in an eruption of giggles from Samantha.
You should try it sometime. The video is a sample of what I mean. She'd already been laughing for several minutes before I got out the camera to record it.



Thank you, Fisher Price for creating Little People animals. I'm sure we'll find even more fun to be had with them as our daughter grows.

Getting Sleep

There's nothing like waking up after the perfect amount of sleep that your body needs and having the energy to sail through your day. There's also nothing like having your child wake up well-rested and happy, taking great naps (if they're at an age to need naps) and not fall prey to early evening fussiness.

While neither my daughter Samantha nor I have great sleep every night, the vast majority of the time we do. It didn't start out that way. I think the biggest help in giving Sam (and therefore me) the gift of good sleep at each stage in her life has been the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Mark Weissbluth.

When I was a first-time mom with a newborn, I had no idea what was good for my daughter's sleep. All I knew was that she slept on and off during the day and it took us seemingly forever to get her to fall asleep at night. The process of getting her to fall asleep was a long session of rocking, swaddling and shushing that wore us both out. I was getting severely sleep-deprived, and started looking for resources to help. A good friend recommended Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (HSHHC) and I was thrilled to see there was a 'how to use this book' section at the beginning that pointed a half-awake mommy in the right direction.

HSHHC guided me in putting my good intentions for my child's well-being into practice, and has been my main resource for sleep training. One key concept to internalize, though, for this and any other child sleep book is to remember that you and your child are not a book; you're real people for whom not everything may be the best fit. You know your child, so carefully determine where there are places that would be more beneficial to deviate from 'the program.' In my case, my wise pediatrician offered some other suggestions that were key in molding my sleep training process even more specifically to my daughter Samantha's very alert and determined personality.

Like Dr. Weissbluth suggests, I started paying attention to Samantha's 'drowsy signals' and started soothing her to sleep at appropriate times where she'd be most likely to fall asleep easily. At three months old, I put her down in her crib drowsy but awake for about ten minutes or so. If she didn't fall asleep or was really upset, I picked her up and soothed her all the way to sleep. By the time she was 5 months old, Samantha would fall asleep in her crib on her own the vast majority of the time. She usually played or cooed for a little while then drifted off to her naps or bedtime.

While some children start sleeping through the night on their own, Samantha did not. At 8 months old, she was still waking up once or twice a night to nurse, sleeping for 6 hours in a row maximum. (for the sake of this story, 'sleeping through the night' will mean sleeping at least 10 hours in a row) After careful consideration, my husband and I decided to try the method Dr. Weissbluth describes as 'extinction,' the one that has some of the least amount of crying overall. When Samantha woke up in the middle of the night, we let her cry, and she finally put herself back to sleep. It was so hard to listen to her in there, but the next night she just fussed for a short time before going back to sleep. The third night, she slept through the night. She wakes up happy most every morning, and bedtimes are not a battle.

At first I thought that putting my child down for bed later would equal her sleeping later, but as HSHHC mentions, this really is not the case. Earlier bedtimes usually equal more sleep, and that proved itself in our experience. In protecting Samantha's early bedtime of 7:15PM, I've run into a lot of people who ask why we don't take her out to more evening activities, commenting that keeping her up will just make her sleep later. We've tried that, and all we get is a crabby, tired child the next day. In talking with other parents, I've found more and more of them have the same experience as we've had, and understand why we protect Samantha's early bedtime for the vast majority of nights. We make sure that we're home for her to take a good nap unless it's a really, really special occasion.

Sometimes Samantha wakes up really early, and when that happens for several mornings in a row, we've found the suggestions from HSHHC very helpful....not going in to get Sam before 6AM, and trying a slightly earlier bedtime for the next few nights. It takes patience to help get her sleeping in longer, but it's worth it.

This book addresses all sorts of sleep problems and solutions and gives research-backed advice for each stage of a child's life from birth through high school age. I've got a lot more info about the book, including a list of contents, reviews, soothing tips and links to purchase the book on my website about helping your baby have great naps and nighttime sleep.

Here's to great sleep. I'm going to grab a quick snooze while Samantha's napping. zzzzzz

Bye, bye diaper rash and dry skin

I've had some folks ask me for my top 'must have' baby items, and Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment is right up there. Ok, I'm going to get excited about stuff that I put on my child's bottom, but there's so much to like about this product in comparison to other diaper rash creams or 'butt pastes' that I've tried on her little derrierre:

• Saw marked improvement in diaper rash within 24 hours
• It's easy to remove from places you don't want it to be on (like your child's clothes, your hands). Other products have been as hard to get off as meconium, IMHO.
• The smell. There is none. Some other creams say they have a 'pleasant smell.' Right. I'd rather have unadulterated sweet baby smell, thank you very much.
• Consistency -- It's more like a thick gel rather than a paste. Most of the pastes/creams I used at the beginning separated into a gunk and an oily ooze which squirted out on me. Eww.
• You can use Aquaphor for dry skin all over baby's body.
• It makes your hands nice and soft too. Also great for dry lips. I've used it as a clear gloss.
  

Aquaphor also comes in a tube, which is much easier to apply.

What it's all about

I don't know about you, but I would much rather find out about products and services from friends who've actually tried them and like them enough to tell me about their great experience rather than having to find out everything by trial and error. Sure, everyone has their own preferences and there are items that you really do want to see for yourself, but I'd at least like a leg up on the process. I'm the person whose favorite section of a web page about a product is the user reviews.

As a mom of a very busy 14 month old, I'm always on the lookout for what makes my (and my family's life) easier, more rewarding, more efficient, or just plain more fun. And, I want to share my findings with you so you can choose to benefit as well. I'd also welcome your input about my favorite things, and about related items that you've found to be so helpful that you're motivated to share your experiences.

I'm also a person who's continually seeking to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness, so I'll tell you about some of my favorite things about being a mom, my life, and my daughter every so often. Hope what I talk about encourages you, makes you laugh, or makes you smile.

I'm about being where other real moms on real budgets are. While I like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens as well as brown paper packages tied up with strings, I'll strive to be more real life and practical. (Can you tell I'm a fan of The Sound of Music?) I know Oprah's got her Favorite Things too, and I like a bunch of them. In fact, my husband got me my favorite watch ever after seeing it on an Oprah's Favorite Things episode a few years ago. However, I can't afford much of the stuff on there or use it easily in my daily life, and I suspect you are most likely in the same boat. This is more geared towards the mommy-living-in-the-limits-of-this-recession-who-loves-to-have-fun-with-her-family-and-be-pampered-every-so-often crowd.

Enjoy!

BunnyFabulous
Mommy