Mommy's Favorite Things

Gift Giving - Top Toys for Toddlers 12-18 Months

2011-11-21T14:39:00.001-05:00

Playing with the Fisher Price Learning Home

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and then....Black Friday. Whether you shop the early sales, wait until the online deals on Cyber Monday or just shop as you go, the clock is still ticking. Less than 6 weeks until Christmas.

If you're looking for great gifts for a toddler in your life, whether it's your niece, nephew, grandchild or your own little one, I've got a resource for you; another of my top picks lists: Top Toys for Toddlers 12-18 Months.

I'm a mom who loves reviewing toys, and between Li'l Girlie, her friends and having volunteered in our church's childcare, I've seen what gets played with and what doesn't. So I made a list of the best of the best. Hope it helps you!

Did I miss any outstanding toys? If there's another you'd like to nominate for a Top Toy, please let me know!

Starbucks BOGO Holiday Drinks

2011-11-19T20:40:00.001-05:00

If you haven't been taking advantage of the Starbucks BOGO Holiday drinks, get out there and enjoy them! Sunday, Nov 20th from 2PM-5PM you can get two of the tasty treats at the left for the price of one. Hubby, Li'l Girlie and I have gone twice to sip them up. Technically, Li'l Girlie got vanilla milk, but Hubby and I got our Peppermint Mocha fixes.

This has definitely been cheering me up since this yucky cold or whatever it is has been lingering and tormenting me with a low-grade fever and headache.

What's your favorite Starbucks Holiday Drink?

Forgetful Friday (A.K.A. making up for Thankful Thursdays I've missed)

2011-11-18T14:23:00.001-05:00

Our Little Gymnast

I've been exceedingly lax in typing out what I'm thankful for these past few weeks. I'd been on the ball in the middle of a super-busy season of life then just kind of shut down for two weeks afterwards. So technically, I didn't forget about Thankful Thursdays, I was just too lazy to actually do them. Gotta own up to that. Forgetful Friday just sounded better. ;)

This Thursday there are a mess of 'small' things that I'm thankful for. Some may seem a bit insignificant, but they're all God's provision for me and my family.

Health -- Li'l Girlie and I have had a nasty cold this past week; very glad that she's over it and that I'm following suit.
Along the Health lines, Zarbee's Children's Cough and Sleep Drink -- A natural cough remedy that helps kids over 2 years old. It's all-natural and has honey, vitamin c, zinc and a bit of melatonin to help children sleep when they're sick. You mix it into warm water and your child drinks it like tea. Smells fantastic, and Li'l Girlie drank it down, saying it tasted good. It helped her a ton; she went from miserable and congested right before bed to dropping off to sleep and sleeping through the night. Just noticed that the website says it can help adults too. I've gotta try it.
Gymnastics Class -- Li'l Girlie loves her preschool gymnastics class. She's getting great exercise doing things she loves -- bouncing, hanging on to things, climbing, etc. and is learning to follow directions from someone other than her parents. So valuable. Little Miss Independent is seeing that participating in something is actually turning out to be fun.
Husbands That Make Dinner/Get Takeout When Their Wife is Sick -- This is self explanatory. Thank you, Hubby!
Coffee and Tea
Sales at Old Navy

P.S.

What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear. You don't need to make a list like I did. I was just making up for missing the past few Thursdays. ;)

Thankful Thursdays

2011-11-03T21:03:00.002-04:00

Li'l Girlie with her Daddy, Uncle B and Cousin J

So it's November, the official month of Thanksgiving. The perfect time to join me on the adventure of practicing thankfulness in your everyday life. This post and the comments you leave are our little (or big) weekly expressions of gratitude for the blessings we've been given.

What am I thankful for this week? A great trip to Memphis to visit my husband's family and see a few good friends to boot. Li'l Girlie got to meet her older cousin J for the first time too.

What are YOU thankful for? Please share!

2011-10-31T14:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween to those who are celebrating.

We're not big Halloween celebrators, at least at this point, due mostly to two factors:

My husband never really liked dressing up and celebrating Halloween.
Li'l girlie's not that into dress-up either.

She was hesitant to wear this cute shirt that a friend gave to us, but once she put it on, she was fine. I personally come from the other end of the Halloween spectrum. My mom made us costumes each year that went straight into our costume play box afterwards. The costumes Mom made us ROCKED, so we often had our friends over to dress up like mice, Peter Pan, cats, clowns, donkeys, reindeer, hula girls, elephants and even a watermelon. (That was one my grandma made. Long story.) We all had hours of fun making up all sorts of stories to go along with our costumes.

While I'm not into the dark, spookier parts of Halloween, I enjoy a good dress-up and go-get-candy outing. Maybe next year.

Are you celebrating Halloween this year? If so, what are you doing for it? If not, what are you doing instead, if anything?

Top Toys for Babies 3 to 6 Months Old

2011-10-16T20:46:00.002-04:00

I know I've mentioned before about some of my top toys lists. I really like reviewing toys, so it's quite fun to me to make these to hopefully help those of you who just want to know what to get. The latest installation is for the youngest set of kids....small babies who are just starting out with toys. Top Toys for 3-6 Month Old Babies will help you shop for your own baby, figure out Christmas gifts for a niece or nephew, or help you find that perfect baby shower gift.

What do you think? Are there any toys you think I missed? Do you think I should be hired as a toy tester like Tom Hanks' character in the movie 'Big'?

Thankful Thursdays

2011-10-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday. Here's your reminder to sit down and take a moment to practice being thankful. A dear friend of mine whom I really admire would tell her kids to have 'an attitude of gratitude rather than an attitude of rat-itude.' I like that saying a lot. I can have an attitude of rat-itude when little things derail my plans, and there are times I definitely need help to even ask myself what I can be thankful for about certain situations.

So, please join me in this weekly expression of thankfulness. I'd love to hear what you're thankful for.

Here's mine for this week: I'm thankful for parks with tons of sidewalks for small kids to ride their bikes around in. Our neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks to speak of.

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rococohobo/2750365451/

Thankful Thursdays

2011-10-06T13:59:00.000-04:00

Today's thankful for me is a big one:

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated 10 years of marriage! We've been through a lot, and through the joy, sorrow, tough times, smooth sailing, challenges and all the fun, being married to my sweet hubby has been an amazing testament to God's goodness to us and His grace to two very imperfect people.

What are YOU thankful for today? You can share something big and/or deep, or one of the little things that makes your day. I shared about coffee last week, if that says anything.

We're in this to practice the attitude of thankfulness.

Grand Openings and Free Festivals

2011-10-04T20:35:00.000-04:00


Lots of great stuff to do at this free grand opening event

I love fun. Free fun, especially. That's why I like to keep my ear to the ground about what's going on around town. Grand openings that promise entertainment for the kids = score!

Case in point: our town's brand new community center had its grand opening, which, in my daughter's eyes, was really quite grand. Li'l Girlie ADORES bounce houses. It's not cheap to rent one on a regular basis, or to head out to Monkey Joe's every time the mood hits her to bounce (which is often).

We got there right when they started and she got to bounce for half an hour to the excellent music of a youth steel drum band. Then we got sno-cones, samples of Honest Tea and a little bit of coaching from the gymnastics and cheerleading coaches promoting their classes inside the building. All to Li'l Girlie's delight. All F.R.E.E.

Tell me about your finds of free fun stuff to do!

Thankful Thursdays

2011-09-29T14:27:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's the little things. I'm thankful that it's fall (though my thermometer says otherwise) and that I can get my favorite Starbucks coffee flavor ever... Pumpkin Spice Latte. Already got it in hand. :)

What are you thankful for today? Go deep, go surface-y. Make it long or short; whatever helps you practice gratitude.

Starfall

2011-09-27T14:29:00.000-04:00

Had to stay home from my Tuesday morning Moms' group today since Li'l Girlie has some tummy issues. She didn't need to be in bed, but it still wasn't a good idea to have an active day. What to do?

Perfect day for Starfall.com's Learn to Read with Phonics. Since Li'l Girlie is only three, we've just used the first level of learning ABC's, and she really enjoys all the interactive pictures that go along with learning each letter and its sounds. To her, it's sheer entertainment, but she's learned a ton from it. That's my favorite kind of learning....so enjoyable that it's all fun and being proud of your accomplishments. Here's a sample of what you'll find on the first level:

 So what

So what do your kids like to do when they're home sick? What other learning websites would you recommend for preschoolers?

Thankful Thursdays

2011-09-22T20:23:00.000-04:00

When I said that Thankful Thursday comments could be just a few words, I meant it. This week mine's going to be short and sweet too:

I'm really thankful that my husband's back home from a business trip.

What are you thankful for today?

Toys that Grow with Your Child -- Fisher Price Learning Home

2011-09-19T15:06:00.042-04:00

For a toy to be inducted into my personal 'hall of fame,' it's gotta give a good bang for the buck. By that, I mean a toy that your child plays with day in and day out, one that holds their attention so well, and/or they play with for such a long period of time that you are completely grateful you paid every cent for it.

Behold, the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home. One of our family's favorite toys EVAH. My daughter got it for her first birthday. She's 3 1/2 now, and still plays with it. In fact, right now it's teamed up with a chair and a blanket to make a house/barn, depending on what she's pretending at the moment.

This thing retails around $85, give or take. To me, that's a lot to shell out for a baby toy. However, the Learning Home has proved its value many, many times over. Here's how:

Every time we have kids come over for playdates, they all gravitate toward it, whether they're still crawling or they're in kindergarten.
It's big enough for several kids to play with at once.
There's a lot to entertain small toddlers/bigger babies. There are lights to turn on, songs that play, buttons to push, dials to dial and balls. Balls are always a big winner.
Pretty much everything on the Learning House lives up to its name...your child is learning colors, numbers, cause-and-effect, opposites (open/closed, on/off, day/night, etc.)
It's sturdy enough for pre-walkers to pull up on, and there's a lot of incentive to do so...some of the fun features of the home are higher up.
There are two different sound settings (learning and music) as well as a 'sound off' mode so your child can explore with different sound
There's enough sound and song variety to have less annoyance potential for parents. I know some toys my daughter had as a small toddler only played a song or two, and it drove me nuts. The songs are pretty appealing, at least to me. My husband found the singing voice a little syrupy, but I think it's just a generally cheery voice.
You can make up a lot of games to play with your toddler using the Learning House. Our favorites were hiding something unusual in the mailbox for Li'l Girlie to find, having her stuffed animals pop out from behind the closed window, and playing 'knock, knock, who's there?' with the door.

I've even got a video of Li'l Girlie demonstrating the Learning Home on my Top Toys for Toddlers 12-18 Months website. This toy is pretty much a home run for that age, and it lasts way beyond that too.

Thankful Thursdays -- first edition

2011-09-15T19:45:00.002-04:00

I'm trying to make more of a practice of sitting still. With a busy, chatty 3 1/2 year old that's sometimes more of an effort than I'd like to admit. But I know how good it is to come before God with a thankful heart that acknowledges His sovereignty over my life and rejoices in the blessings He's put there. Since Thursday and Thankful start with the same sound, and because Thanksgiving is on a Thursday (yes, I'm corny), I'm starting a tradition of Thankful Thursdays...taking extra time to thank the Lord for His goodness to me.

I want to invite you to join me! I'm going to write a short post each Thursday about something/someone I'm thankful for, and I'd love for you to comment on this post with what YOU are thankful for. C'mon! It'll be fun!

I'll go first:

I'm thankful for these flowers. Happy little zinnias and marigolds in a ball jar given to Li'l Girlie by my good friend B. They're so much more than a couple little blooms to Li'l Girlie, though. We were at B's house today to swim, and she said that Li'l Girlie could choose a flower to take home. Li'l Girlie LOVES flowers, so she was thrilled. But instead of just one bloom, B clipped a whole bunch of Li'l Girlie's favorites.

Every time Li'l Girlie looks at the flowers, she says "B said I could have one flower, but she gave me a whole BUNCH of flowers! That was kind of her."

The zinnias and marigolds themselves are pretty, but what is much more lovely is my friend's heart to bless my daughter. I'm so thankful for B's friendship and how she's showing Li'l Girlie the abundance of Jesus' love for us.

Ok, so you don't have to write this much. Even just a word or two is great, but do feel free to tell us more if you like. The point isn't how much you write or how good it sounds, the point is to practice thankfulness.

A farewell to summer - ode to splash pads

2011-09-10T14:37:00.001-04:00

Who am I kidding? It's September in Florida, which means there's still a few weeks of summer left. However, the highs have dropped out of the 90's into the upper 80's a bit early this year, so I'm seeing a glimmer of fall.

While I'm thrilled to be able to take Li'l Girlie to parks and not be drenched in sweat within 5 minutes, there's been a lot about this summer that we'll miss. For one, splash pads. When Li'l Girlie's into them, it's pretty much guaranteed running around and getting worn out for her, and some good time catching up with friends for me. A little mother/daughter pretend tea time with her plastic tea set gets thrown in too. Everybody wins! Our fave splash pad (shown above) is really close to home, FREE and has really entertaining water features. I know not every area has this style of fountain pad, and we partook of some of the paid entry ones that had bigger water features as well. Lots of inexpensive fun.

To me, here's what makes a great splash pad:

Varied water features or water patterns that has at least one fountain kids can use to fill up buckets. That's truly half the fun for most kids.
Shade. 'Nuff said.
Inexpensive or free admission.
One that's not overrun with day camp attendees. Not that I'm against day camps or day camps taking their campers to splash pads....all I'm saying is that the days they're there, all other children pretty much get run over.

Added bonus for moms with small children who run away a lot...fenced in. Li'l Girlie's never really been a runner, but containment was great for when we had playdates with kids who were.

Splash pads, we will miss you. Hope we get to visit a couple more times before the weather turns. See you next summer!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-09-06T14:27:00.002-04:00

As a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, this muffin recipe was a no-brainer for trying out. The original peanut butter chocolate chip muffin recipe is vegan, but with a few small tweaks (natural peanut butter, milk and gluten-free baking mix) it morphed into more of what this wheat-free/gluten-free carnivore family eats on a regular basis.

And it sure is good! Just as advertised, the muffins perkily puffed up in the oven and released an amazing aroma while baking. They're nice and tender with a bit of a crust on the outside. Kind of a nice touch in my book.

Baking is a favorite activity for my daughter and I. She gets to help scoop flour, sugar, etc., and pour in other ingredients like vanilla and milk, plus taste-test the peanut butter and chocolate chips. She gets to be helpful and is starting to learn some basics of measurement like two half-cups make one whole cup. Plus we get delicious results for our efforts.

While this isn't the epitome of a healthy recipe, it's got its bonuses like protein and a somewhat smaller amount of sugar. You can also substitute sucanat (natural cane sugar) for the regular sugar and get some nutrients instead of just processed white sugar.

Overall, this is a big winner as a rainy day activity. Nothing like the smell of baking on a cloudy day!

The 5 best toys of all time

2011-02-18T14:11:00.002-05:00

The vast majority of the time I do the toy reviews on this site. I really enjoy reviewing toys, and Li'l Girlie enjoys playing with them, so that works out well for us. This time, though, I've gotta hand it to Geek Dad on Wired. He's written a wonderful compilation of the 5 best toys of all time; I couldn't have done it better.

Not many toys can come close to the amount of imagination these toys can inspire, and most are readily available in wide areas of the world. Whatever culture or economic group you are in, it's highly likely that your kid will play with one of these toys whenever the opportunity arises. (Right now, my daughter is really into toy #1 and toy #5) That's her in the bike helmet -- it's like her security blanket, except it's a helmet.

As an added bonus, each of the top 5 is relatively inexpensive and/or can be obtained for free. That's my favorite price.

Which of the top 5 toys does your child play with? Were there any surprises about which ones made the cut?

Finding Rainy Day Fun in Unusual Places

2011-02-10T21:32:00.001-05:00

What to do on a rainy, gloomy day? I love just staying home and playing, doing crafts, messing around with playdoh, etc., but there are just times where you need to break out of the cabin fever and just get out with your kids.

We didn't discover this newest place to explore under the most delightful of circumstances -- my husband is in the ER with a bad fever and chest pain. But while they took him to have a CAT scan, my daughter and I checked out the children's section of the hospital and found a Disney-themed play area, a welcome diversion while we waited.

I wouldn't have thought of a hospital as somewhere to look for rainy day activities, but it sure did fit the bill. If you've got a good sized hospital in your area (especially a children's hospital) and you're looking for a new place for fun on a rainy or cold day, check to see if they have a lobby with stuff for kids.

Have you found a great place to have fun indoors when the weather's not great for being outdoors? Please share!

Cash back for shopping online

2011-02-09T20:04:00.001-05:00

photo © 2006 Rob Lee | more info (via: Wylio)
Ok, so I wouldn't buy a shirt that looks like a dollar bill, but I'm certainly up for having my online clothing purchases (and all other online purchases for that matter) turning into free money. I've found a super-simple and very legitimate way to earn a couple extra bucks.

If you do any online shopping, one of the easiest ways to basically get paid for the purchases that you'd make anyway is to use a cash back website. They're super-easy to use. All you do is go to the cash-back site, then

Sign up.
Choose a store that you want to shop at (most sites have hundreds to thousands of choices)
Shop as you normally would, and get cash back on your purchase.

Just got the latest notification of a rebate check on its way to me. Yippee! This year I earned over $18 cash back on my regular Christmas shopping, and I now make sure that any purchase I make, whenever possible, goes through a cash-back/rebate site so that I don't have to pay full-price.

My personal favorite cash-back site is Ebates. It's the granddaddy of all rebate sites, and is ridiculously easy to use. When you search for the store you want, it tells you how much cash back they offer, and there are often double cash-back deals around major holidays like Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc. They have thousands of stores to choose from, including names like Land's End, Gap, Babies R Us, Target, Shoes.com, Bath and Body Works, Sephora and the Apple Store.

I can always find a use for a little extra cash. Plus, It's not much effort for a busy mom to use something like Ebates. Just a few seconds of effort... so easy even a (fill in the blank) can do it.

Free Chick-fil-A and Learning on the Go

2011-01-31T21:14:00.002-05:00

It definitely pays to join Chick-fil-A Insiders. If you or someone you love (read: your kids) enjoy Chick-fil-A, you'll get emails notifying you of when they have exclusive free previews of new products. Earlier in the year I got a free Spicy Chicken Sandwich, and this month was the Spicy Chicken Biscuit.

Free food was a great excuse for a morning excursion to our favorite fast food place. Li'l Girlie is beyond enamored with Chick-fil-A...the nuggets, the cows, the play area, not to mention getting to drink milk out of a cute container with a straw. All happy stuff in her book.

On this trip, we discovered the cow clock table-toppers, which immediately drew Li'l Girlie's interest. We had fun moving the cow's arms and practicing counting with the numbers on the clock. We practiced our moos and talked about what cows like to eat and what they do. Between that and the play area, we ended up spending almost all morning at Chick-fil-A.

And why do I share this?

Well, the first paragraph is all about the free food, of course. The rest of it is what Miriam Huffman Rockness, in her book A Time for Play - On Childhood and Creativity describes as fanning the flames of a child's interest. As parents we can push our children to have interest in certain activities, and sometimes our child will glom onto them and have a ball, but what really sparks a child's creativity and desire to learn is parents latching onto something their son or daughter is already excited about and helping them explore that interest.

A boy who loves dinosaurs but doesn't care to read much will readily devour books his parents supply to him about T-Rex, Apatosaurus and Triceratops and learn huge vocabulary words to describe the objects of his obsession. While that interest may not lead him into being a palientologist, it just might. Or, at least along the way, it's teaching him both that his parents care about his passions and that there are fascinating worlds of knowledge to explore.

Right now my daughter loves chicken nuggets and cows. Who says we have to eat and run when there's an opportunity for learning through something she already thinks is fun.

Saving money and getting famous. Well, not really famous.

2011-01-17T21:25:00.001-05:00

One of my very favorite things is saving money on quality products. I've met more and more moms, especially in recent years, who've been dipping their toes into the world of couponing to save money on their grocery and household bills, or like me, jumping in and swimming around.

In fall of 2009, I was fortunate enough to be personally tutored in how to coupon by my friend Kim from MavenOnAMission. With her encouragement and coaching, I applied what I learned one step at a time, and a few months later I was saving 40-50% on my grocery and household bills, and my family was eating healthier.

In the summer of 2010, the Orlando Sentinel held a 'Super Saver' contest where they chose the top 10 essays about how people used the newspaper to save money. As you can guess from the photo, I was one of the winners, and got featured in a print ad campaign. (They also did radio spots; some of my local friends have heard me on Magic 107.7, but I've not heard myself yet). While saving money for my own family is rewarding and gives me a sense of accomplishment, I'm also eager to help other moms learn how to save so that they can be better stewards and have more room in their budgets to pay off bills, have more fun, save towards a financial goal or give to their churches or charity.

Along those lines, my first post of 2011 was actually on my friend Kristy's savings & couponing blog, 4our2cents, about my trip to CVS and paying $1 for over $40 worth of stuff.

I'm thankful and honored that Kristy asked me to guest-post on her blog, and it's inspired me to write more about couponing and saving on Mommy's Favorite Things. If you're new to couponing or not even sure you want to try it ---that Extreme Couponing show is giving it a bad name -- don't worry. I'll take it one step at a time.

In case you were wondering, I won a gift card for my Super Saver essay too. Winning money --that's another one of my favorite things.

New Year -- Can I Get a Do-Over?

2011-01-14T14:41:00.002-05:00

To be quite frank, 2010 was not my best year for writing. I feel like I let this blog wither like an unwatered houseplant. Now here I am with the watering can, plant food, and new sunny window to revive it.

Here's what you can expect for 2011... toy reviews, couponing tips, and family-friendly recipes, to name the main categories. I'm still centered on the things that help make a mom's life easier, more enjoyable and help save money. In addition to Mommy's Favorite Things, I also write websites that go more indepth on the stuff I talk about here.

In any case, if you've been following me (you super-loyal and patient person, you), I want to thank you and also apologize for my spotty posting. I'm kicking it back in gear.

All the best,

Erin
Mommy's Favorite Things

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-10T18:17:00.003-05:00

Pop Art Ornaments Christmas

Create modern Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Len's friend/co-worker Ben Baxter took this great photo of us. Can you believe it was in the 40's outside when this shot was taken? Love the style of this card from Shutterfly. They've got the best selection that I've seen online. So easy to create with one photo like this, or with multiple photos if you have individual shots of family members or want to do a mini-collage of different poses. Shutterfly has promotions fairly frequently so it's easy to get an even better deal on Christmas cards like these, photo books, calendars (we do one every year for my mother-in-law), and lots of other classy gifts. They have so much that's customizable and it's easy to do. Gotta say that I *heart* Shutterfly. They've got the photo card and gift niche down pat.

Swagbucks!

2010-05-24T14:02:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited for next month! Why? I'll be getting a brand new Chi flat iron for FREE to tame my wavy tresses into smooth styles for summer. I've been wanting one for quite awhile, so I'm extra stoked about it. So how did I snag that deal? SwagBucks.com. I won enough swagbucks to redeem them for the amount of Amazon.com gift cards to get it.

Earning points or 'swagbucks' is really easy. You just sign up for SwagBucks.com and just use their search engine to search for stuff that you'd normally search for. There are other easy ways to earn swagbucks as well, including:

Downloading their toolbar; you get swagbucks every so often just for using it.
Checking their blog and facebook page for special swag codes
Recycling your old cell phone through their easy service
Completing special offers (you can get swagbucks for just LOOKING at some...no participation in the offers needed)

You earn 30 SwagBucks just for signing up. Also, as a bonus, my friend Kim with Maven on a Mission is doing a SwagBucks-related giveaway for a $5 Amazon.com gift card (her favorite SwagBucks prize, and mine too!) Kim's the one who got me into couponing and uses her blog to help coach many of us in the Orlando area and beyond in our frugal pursuits. I'm so excited for her doing her blog's first giveaway, so go support her and hopefully win!

So what would you like to get for free?

Swimming Like a Fish

2010-04-20T21:28:00.004-04:00

Being attracted to nearly any source of water, having parents who enjoy swimming, exhibiting a huge interest in fish and aquatic animals, and being a Florida resident have almost destined Li'l Girlie for swimming lessons early in life. Infant/Toddler swim programs abound in Central Florida, but I wanted to make sure that we did one that would help Li'l Girlie if she was in a potential drowning situation. Knowing her enjoyment of water and curiosity, it seemed the smartest thing for us to do.

We know of several families who've lost children in drowning accidents and another family whose son is still alive and well only by the grace of God including his quick-acting mom and the help of an EMT. Drowning is a leading cause of infant/young childrens' death in Florida, so we're so glad that something like Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) is out there to teach young children skills they need to survive in the water. For toddlers, ISR teaches a swim-float-swim sequence to help a child get to the edge of a pool or shore of a pond/lake. Lessons are 10 minutes each, 5 days a week for 4-6 weeks, and parents learn a lot about swimming safety as well through interacting with the instructor and the parents' resource handbook.

While it can be tough watching your child through the first several lessons especially -- many kids cry or fuss due to the completely new situation they're put in, seeing your child learning life-saving skills is really rewarding. The instructors take great care to insure the childrens' safety and personalize the intensity and duration of the lesson (up to 10 min.) depending on how the child is doing that day. I also love that the lessons are one-on-one; my child has her instructor's full attention, and in the case of our instructor training a new instructor, 2 on one.

Yes, it's a bit pricey. Yes, you keep a log of your child's eating, sleeping, pooping, etc. each day to help the instructor determine what is the safest and best way to handle your child's lesson each day. But knowing what she's learning could one day save her life in a situation as common as falling into a pool is priceless.

Here's a short clip of Li'l Girlie's 6th lesson. You can tell she's already digging it. :)

We ended up doing our ISR lessons through Safe Start, a unique drowning prevention effort in central and south Florida that partners with community centers like YMCAs and JCCs. We have a YMCA 10 minutes from our house with an indoor pool, so it's a sweet situation. For those of you who wonder why an indoor pool is important to me...Central FL late spring/early summer afternoons = thunderstorms. Not so swim-friendly.

I've had some great conversations with Li'l Girlie over the last week since she talks about swimming lessons a ton during the day. My favorite: 'swim underwawa touch fish, pop up see mama' (swimming to the wall where there's a fish decal, then pulling up on the wall to see me sitting there cheering her on). That, and 'more swim underwawa please.'

Mother/Daughter Smoothies

2010-04-10T15:00:00.004-04:00

Taking a sip of smoothie
Originally uploaded by bunnyfabulous

I like cooking and want to help Li'l Girlie get involved with it from early on and have fun with food. She's two, so I can't exactly hand her a knife and have her help chop, so I'd been trying to think of something she could help with on a regular basis. Then, to try get out of the rut of having cereal for breakfast every day, I started whipping up some healthy smoothies for the three of us, and our kitchen adventures began.

Li'l Girlie names the ingredients as I plop them into in the blender, and she, of course, is the official 'vroom-er' A.K.A. the person who pushes the buttons on the blender to make it go vroom. She takes her job very seriously, and consults with me on whether it needs more juice or soy milk. We pour it into glasses for Mommy and Daddy, and she gets to sip out of each.

Even better, these smoothies are super-healthy, delicious and contain VEGETABLES. Yes, it's a great way to get a little extra green into a choosy toddler's diet.

Here's my 'recipe.' I don't measure much of anything, so this is just my best guess as to the quantities.

1/2 banana
1/2 ripe avocado
1 cup frozen berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries or blueberries, or any combination thereof that appeals to you)
1 handful raw spinach leaves or raw kale greens
3/4 cup greek-style yogurt (we prefer vanilla, but fruit-flavored works well too)
1/2 cup soy milk (or regular milk if you want)
1/2 cup grape juice or berry juice blend

Put all ingredients in blender and blend together. Add more soy milk and/or grape juice if needed for consistency. If it's too thin, add more yogurt or banana.

This is to taste; if you need some more sweetness, add a bit of honey. Kale has a stronger taste than spinach, so you might want to go heavier on the other ingredients, especially the ones on the sweet end of the spectrum.

As Li'l Girlie would say.... mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, that tastes good! Her bunny gets a sip too.

Spicing it up with some new recipes

2010-03-31T15:12:00.001-04:00

I love to try new recipes, and couponing as well as the Eat from The Pantry Challenge that I did in January in February has helped me continue to stretch my creative muscles to use the food we have on hand or what's cheap. This year I've already found a couple of great go-to recipes that are easy to fix and extremely tasty. My current fave: Shrimp Fried Rice. When you're able to get shrimp and rice on sale, it's a fairly frugal recipe to prepare, with sesame oil being a possible exception if you don't use it much.

If you like to make things ahead, this is a recipe for you. It's SUPPOSED to be prepared with leftover cold rice, so I just cook that and dice the vegetables earlier in the afternoon during my daughter's nap. Near dinnertime, just saute the shrimp and follow the directions. Dinner on the plate within 15 min. At least to my taste buds, this rivals takeout...mmmm!

Mini Apple-Cheddar Meatloaves is another recent find which can be whipped up in a short amount of time to rave reviews. It's ground turkey-based, so there's an added level of healthfulness. To cut the prep time, opted to put my onion and apple in the food processor to get it into small pieces rather than shred them. You can also substitute regular breadcrumbs for panko.

I've been able to get amazing deals on pork tenderloin in the past couple of weeks, but I really didn't have any pork tenderloin recipes. Enter Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Blue Cheese and Olive Stuffing. This isn't a cheap recipe to prepare, nor is it quick; but it's easy and tastes fan-freaking-tastic. Think restaurant-quality-impress-your-guests delicious. I'm still dreaming about the sauce. From all the money we've been saving, it was a bit easier for me to fork out the extra cash for olive tapenade and blue cheese to make this splurge meal. Well worth it for a dish that makes me miss going out to nice restaurants just a bit less. ;)

Best of all, my 2 year old will eat all three of these! Woo hoo!

photo courtesy of dearbarbie on flickr

Alphabet Train Fun

2010-01-04T15:59:00.005-05:00

Chugga chugga chugga woo woo! Ok, I don't know how to spell train noises, but that's my best attempt. We got the Infantino Alphabet Train from our church's toy exchange and gave it to Li'l Girlie for Christmas. It's really designed for kids 3-5, but since she's really, really into trains right now, we figured we'd try it out.

Right now Li'l Girlie just enjoys watching us put the train together, making train noises and trying to say what the object is on the top of the train cars when we point to them. I can see how it will become a really fun way to learn the alphabet as she gets to be a bit older. This puzzle, along with several other Infantino puzzles, is an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio winner and has suggested games and activities on the top of the box. The whole train is over 5 feet long, so the size of it even appealing for little kids. Definitely a floor puzzle that can be worked on by more than one person.

The pictures are cute and colorful; the only kind of odd one is the big Jello mold for the letter 'J'. But then again, how many easily recognizable things begin with J?

Eat From the Pantry Challenge

2010-01-04T15:09:00.000-05:00

There are a couple of blogs that I follow to help me be a more frugal mama and a better steward of the time and money that I have. MoneySavingMom.com is one of my favorites. She is co-hosting the Eat from the Pantry Challenge for the month of January. It's not a contest or a competition, but rather an opportunity to challenge yourself to cut back and use up what you have in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Especially with a drop in our income (not to mention my husband spending most of 2009 unemployed) and even more so in this economic environment, the creativity to use what you have is a skill that I'd like to develop.

While my pantry/fridge/freezer stockpiles aren't huge, I'm still going to give it my best shot. My goal is to have meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) for an entire week without having to shop for any ingredients. My week will start on Sun, January 10th. Any longer I can go is a bonus.

Here are my own 'rules' and caveats:

I will still grocery shop during the challenge week, but only for essential dairy and produce (I do have an almost 2-year old in the house) as well as future food stockpiling.
I can't use any of the future stockpile stuff for challenge week meals.
No stockpiling purchases can be full price...they must be on sale, and preferably have coupons.
I have a dinner commitment on Tuesday nights which I will keep; I have to make sure that my husband and daughter have ample leftovers to eat that evening.

At least to me, this venture seems less intimidating when I'm doing it alongside other moms, even if they are online and I can't see them. I've felt inspired to continue to try to save money and have fun doing it. MoneySavingMom has a FAQ's page with some leads on getting started saving It's easier than you might think.

One Finger Touch

2009-12-31T21:14:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-28T14:53:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-25T14:26:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-12-24T15:01:00.004-05:00

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

2009-11-26T13:35:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-19T14:44:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-14T20:53:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-13T19:45:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-07T14:46:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-10-16T19:22:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-14T15:15:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-09T14:51:00.000-04:00

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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2009-09-30T14:11:00.001-04:00

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Giveaways

2009-09-29T14:43:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-17T15:53:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-09-08T13:20:00.006-04:00

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

2009-08-26T14:29:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-25T13:59:00.007-04:00

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

2009-08-18T14:05:00.005-04:00

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.

Buy Posters at AllPosters.com 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

2009-08-14T15:23:00.014-04:00

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

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An essential for baby

2009-08-06T15:59:00.011-04:00

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

2009-08-03T14:27:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-29T14:16:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-23T13:46:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-16T14:57:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-14T13:44:00.014-04:00

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

2009-07-11T15:18:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-09T14:13:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-04T13:53:00.005-04:00

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.

2009-06-30T14:37:00.006-04:00

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

2009-06-24T20:44:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-06-22T14:49:00.012-04:00

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

2009-06-18T14:00:00.007-04:00

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

2009-06-15T13:22:00.001-04:00

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

2009-04-23T14:28:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-22T14:28:00.000-04:00

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