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

Masterprint

Buy at AllPosters.com

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.