I’ve loved high-quality baby gear ever since we invested in the Quinny Zapp (the three-wheeled version, which you can’t get in the US) when Emma was born. I have yet to find another stroller that pushes as effortlessly, and we’ll be using it for baby number four this fall.
I love all things baby, so I was beyond thrilled when I was offered a ticket to the drool baby expo. It was well worth walking several blocks to the parking garage in drenching rain! Here are my highlights from the evening:
Strollers
- Mike and I splurged on the Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller when Lily was a baby and it has been a fantastic investment, so I was thrilled to see this company there (hint: ask stores if they will sell you their floor models to save on pricey, never-on-sale strollers. Ours had been on display WAY above the showroom floor, so it was in mint condition, but we still got the floor model discount). It has the easiest fold of any stroller I have owned (pull the straps across the bottom of each seat and it folds in half), pushes great, and has gorgeously huge sun canopies. I like that there is a barrier between the two seats that makes it a little harder for kids to poke one another, and the fact that you can recline one seat (they recline flat) without reclining the other. The basket is a little hard to access, although this has been remedied somewhat in the most recent model. They have a new all-terrain model, too, with the same fabulous fold.
- I see the UPPAbaby Vista as your ultimate SUV stroller. It’s big, roomy for the baby and the parent (no kicking this stroller), but still has a nice push. You’re paying for it, both in the price tag and the size of the folded stroller, although luxury strollers get much pricier than this. I like the option of adding a second seat and a buggy board to transport three kids – but expect to feel that extra weight! The basket is HUGE, and the seat is reversible. I think the ventilation of their new bassinet (included with the stroller) is pretty cool, too. I don’t own it, but everyone I know who owns one loves it. This stroller seems particularly popular with the IKEA crowd – every time I’m there, I see at least one.
- The Blue Melange Stokke XPLORY is, honestly, the most elegant-yet-modern stroller I have ever seen – photos do not do it justice! Classic beauty meets brilliant engineering! Drool was the second time I had ever seen one of these in real life – the first time being on public transportation in Vienna, Austria when we visited my parents there a couple years ago. Which is appropriate, because this is the kind of stroller I could see someone owning instead of a car. I love the height-adjustable seat, and the simplicity of this stroller’s design.
Baby Carriers
- An Ergo Baby Carrier was my big investment when Johnny was born. It’s lasted through my three kids (Emma rode in it a lot, especially when Johnny was tiny and she was under two – she used to “help” Mike mow the lawn in it), as well as the babies of a couple friends. I have it back, and baby #4 will be riding in it this fall, once she outgrows our stretchy wrap (I prefer stretchy wraps like the Moby Wrap for newborns).
- Speaking of wraps, drool was my first time seeing the Baby K’Tan Baby Carrier in real life. Think Moby Wrap without the yards and yards of fabric. I think it’s a great solution for someone looking for a newborn carrier who doesn’t want to deal with all that fabric, but I would not want to use it to carry and older/heavier baby.
Baby Feeding
- I was intrigued by the Medela Calma bottles, which are supposed to encourage proper latch and feeding technique for breastfed babies. Buyers seem to have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it based on Amazon reviews.
- Wean Green Wean Cubes are pricy, but if you are looking for a non-plastic option for your baby’s food storage, this is the best I’ve seen. The lids create a tight seal, and while I could open and close them without any trouble, Emma struggled with them (a bonus, in my opinion – I prefer to not have older siblings playing with the baby’s food.) Of course, a determined child, say, maybe Johnny, could probably open them, but it requires significant effort.
Sleep
- The all-around zipper is what sets the Gunapod Wearable Baby Sleepsack apart from other baby sleep sacks. You can unzip it from the bottom for diaper changes – or for a child who refuses to sleep when their feet are covered, like one of mine…
- The nested bean zen swaddle is a swaddling blanket that is gently weighted to make babies feel more secure. The fabric was gorgeously soft, and I can definitely see this idea helping a baby feel safer and calmer.
- The Baby Home Dream Portable Crib has a sleek modern look with a brilliant twist. The crib rests on two parallel bars. Twist them one direction, and it’s a crib on wheels. Turn them on their sides, and the crib stands still. Turn them on the other side, and it’s a rocking crib. All in a very lightweight package that collapses for travel (and comes with a travel bag). Expect to pay for this type of innovation, of course – and expect your child to outgrow it by six months.
I was hoping to see Quinny represented as a brand, but they weren’t there. Beco was the other company I was hoping for but did not see. I found the rest of the companies I was hoping to see, plus a few new ones!
What are some of your favorite baby products?
Welcome, Sew, Mama, Sew! visitors! My giveaway today comes from the Small Hands Creating Hope project, which I created with the help of over 40 fantastically creative bloggers to celebrate thirty years of cancer survivorship! Together, we created a beautiful ebook that we are sending out to anyone who donates at least $15 to the American Cancer Society through this link. Donors will also receive a link where they can purchase a physical copy of the book at production cost, if they would like.
My daughter made this butterfly to feature as our contribution to the book. It’s a very simple sewing project for young children – two layers of felt stitched together, with a pipe cleaner forming the antennae and stick-on jewels to add a little glamour. My six-year-old daughter opted to stitch the layers together with a running stitch with no other decoration, but this is also a great way for kids to practice some simple embroidery stitches! Simple sewing projects are always a hit in our house – here are a few others we have done:
And a few projects that you can make for your kids (or a child who is old enough to use a sewing machine can make):
Today I’m giving away a kit with supplies (minus needle and thread) to make two butterflies. To enter, simply fill out the form below. I will give three extra entries to anyone who publicizes the Small Hands Creating Hope project, and five extra entries to anyone who makes a donation. Just make sure your email address for the donation matches the one given for your entry!
This giveaway will run through 5pm PST (8pm EST) May 25th, when a winner will be chosen using random.org. I am happy to ship anywhere in the world.
Johnny’s preschool teachers are AMAZING. Every time I visit his class, I am impressed. This year they put on a very fun art show, showcasing pieces the kids had created in the style of various artists – including painting upside down to imitate Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel!
I knew, as soon as I walked into the room, which Mondrian picture was Johnny’s. Can you spot it? My kids take their art very seriously!
Lily was all about the pet frogs swimming in their cage, and Emma was thrilled to be there to see the class butterflies set free. I am so grateful for good teachers for my children!
I hope you will link up your hands-on, fun, and creative learning activities! Links back with a button (in the sidebar) or text are always appreciated, as they help others learn about this series. Here are a few posts I enjoyed last week!
My big news this week is the launch of the Small Hands Creating Hope project! We have raised $435 so far for the American Cancer Society, and Emma is putting our copy of the book to good use, trying out all of the amazing crafts! Please share this project, and contribute if you can. Every dollar makes a difference!
The rain let up for a few days this week, and the kids had a BLAST playing outside! Mike purchased an outdoor table and benches at IKEA as a very fabulous Mother’s Day gift for me, and we have been putting them to good use eating outdoors as much as possible. I have plans to craft outside this summer, too!
The real motivation for our IKEA trip was to pick up a dresser for Baby #4. The kids LOVED helping dad put it together! I think Lily was a little concerned about it not being finished and dad playing around with the camera instead of working on it, in this picture.
Saturday we had a fun time meeting up with Alex, Valerie, and Nico from Glittering Muffins! I was very impressed with Nico’s ability to join in with my kids’ play – all four kids had a great time! They brought us some Canadian delicacies, so the kids are going to be learning a lot about Canadian treats this week – they are VERY excited about that! They are also loving their French books – thank you, Valerie!
I cohost the Afterschool linky with Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns, The Educators’ Spin On It, What Do We Do All Day, and Little Wonders’ Days. I hope you’ll share your afterschooling week!
Mike’s blogging today!
 MaryAnne asked me if I would like a couple books targeted for dads for me to review on her site. The first book is titled Stuff Every Dad Should Know. It is a small book, only 3.8 x 6 inches and 144 pages, and seems to be optimized for someone who has a short attention span or can only read in brief spurts (like a new dad in between diaper changes). The content is broken into sections that generally occupy up to two small pages and require on the order of a minute to read. The book is organized into four parts: baby stuff, little kid stuff, big kid stuff, and teen stuff and beyond. I imagine that this book is targeted at new dads at the baby stage, and I would expect that they would find some of the topics near the end hard to imagine—like “how to handle your child’s first car accident or ticket.” I can just imagine a bleary eyed dad reading this book while burping his little infant on the couch at 3am and coming to the section on “how to meet your child’s in-laws”—and then thinking, wow… this dad thing continues for a long time… followed by, what have I gotten myself into? So, although three quarters of the book might not be immediately relevant to a new dad, it does give a nice perspective as to what to expect down the road. I enjoyed reading the book. Many of the points I already knew or learned from trial and error (or from being told by MaryAnne), but overall it was pretty entertaining. It has some good tips on topics like how to take care of fears of monsters at bedtime. It says to “turn scary monsters into friends with a good story.” The illustration shows a dad next to his daughter’s bed with a speech bubble showing two goofy looking monsters. The daughter looks reassured and the dad is giving her the thumbs up. The illustrations reminded me of the artwork provided in airplane seats to explain what to do in a disaster.
 The other book I was asked to review is The Art of Roughhousing. One author has an M.D. and the other has a Ph.D. The book has an academic aspect to it, which the other book does not. For example, the first chapter provides a short history of the science of roughhousing, beginning with Harry Harlow’s work with young rhesus monkeys in the 1950s. The book doesn’t stay cerebral for too long, and it dives pretty quickly into a catalogue of roughhousing activities, such as “Ninja Warrior” which involves flipping your 0-2 year-old from your shoulders down to the ground. For each activity, the book lists the age range, difficulty, and essential skills. It also provides illustrations of the activities. The subtitle of the book is “Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It.” I can see how most dads will naturally flip to the sections describing the good old-fashioned horseplay (in part because there are illustrations associated with them) – but it is important to not miss out on the discussion of “why every kids need it.” It definitely changed my perspective on horseplay. I certainly enjoy horseplay with my kids, and I have fond memories of horseplay as a kid with my dad and uncles – and even my mom (except for when it resulted in my mom fracturing her toe after a ninja kick to the wall.) But the book cites research supporting the bold claim that roughhousing “makes kids smart, emotionally intelligent, lovable and likable, ethical, physically fit, and joyful.” I’m a fan.
We received copies of both books from the publisher for Mike to review. Do you have any favorite books – non-fiction or fiction – that you recommend for dads?
Sleep deprivation is one area of parenting where I have a lot of experience. Nobody would call my kids “good” sleepers, and having three in under three and a half years probably doesn’t help. Advice for dealing with sleep deprivation is probably my most-asked-in-real-life question – mainly because everybody knows my kids don’t sleep! I asked the ladies of the Kid Blogger Network for their advice, and compiled the twenty most popular tips. Here they are – and if you’re looking for tips on getting your child to sleep at night, try this post at B-InspiredMama.com!
- Remember that it won’t last forever. Even my kids start sleeping through the night eventually, usually after their fourth birthday… Most kids start sleeping through the night MUCH earlier than this.
- See the humor in your sleep-deprived behavior – I LOVE these Confessions of a Sleep Deprived Mommy from Mommy With Selective Memory.
- Consider safe co-sleeping.
- Have someone else watch the kids so you can sleep.
- Swap off who gets up with the kids on the weekends with your spouse.
- Teach kids to have quiet time, even if they aren’t napping, so you can nap. When Emma was a very-much-not-sleeping-through-the-night toddler and I was pregnant with Johnny I used to go with her into her (very child-proofed) room, close the door, and sleep while she played. Don’t underestimate the value of power naps.
- Embrace the benefits. I’ve learned to use these quiet hours in the middle of the night to bond with the child who is awake. It can also be a great time for reflection, prayer, or meditation if you don’t let yourself get upset about being awake.
- Don’t try to be supermom. Leave the dishes/laundry/cleaning for another day. Families need rested mothers!
- Take vitamins! Vitamin D and Fish Oil/Omega 3 may be especially helpful (check with your doctor, first). I switched over to a vitamin that included DHA when Emma was a few months old and felt much better.
- Realize that your body will adjust over time.
- Write everything down – your tired mind needs all the help it can get! To quote Caz at A Little Learning For Two: “Our youngest has a sleep onset disorder and hasn’t slept well from day dot. My only suggestions are to keep a notepad and pen in your bag because your memory will never be the same, be as organized as possible, learn to enjoy sleeping on carpet and make sure you eat as healthily as possible!” I use Google calendar, a white board, AND write everything down on a paper calendar. And still forget things, sometimes.
- Have activities planned to help make it through the day after a rough night. I try to have something quiet the kids can do first thing in the morning so that I have time to wake up slowly without resolving sibling conflicts or listening to complaints.
- Go to bed early. Many kids sleep best during the first few hours of the night. Mike and I were going to bed at 8pm for a while, when we had all THREE kids waking up nearly every night…
- Make sure you drink water during the day.
- Exercise.
- Apologize and Forgive. As Rebekah at The Golden Gleam says, “Forgive yourself and apologize to others when you are not a very nice person to be around because of sleep deprivation. It was so easy to be gentle and kind to my baby daughter, but it wasn’t as easy for me to deal with other adults because I was giving everything I had to give to my daughter because of her intense sleep needs. My husband put up with a lot, but it doesn’t last forever and now that she is older I have more to give to the other people in my life.”
- Sometimes you just need to cry. Teething babies, sick kids, and night terrors tend to break me down.
- Give yourself some downtime, in the morning or evening. Or both!
- Make the most of little luxuries. Time out with friends, a bath, or something as simple as a food you love can make it easier to cope.
- Don’t blame yourself. I love this advice from Allie at No Time For Flashcards: “Do not think you are doing something wrong. Once I accepted my kids’ temperaments, the way they nurse my commitment to nursing and to addressing their needs at any time of day or middle of the night it was way way easier.”
What are your best tips?
Special thanks to the moms who blog at A Little Learning For Two, at home with Ali, B-InspiredMama.com, Busy Kids = Happy Mom, Creative Family Fun, Creekside Learning, Curly Birds, Glittering Muffins, Growing a Jeweled Rose, hands on: as we grow, JDaniel4’s Mom, make, do & friend, Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas, Mommy With Selective Memory, No Time For Flashcards, Playawayonline, Rainy Day Mum, Red Ted Art, Sense of Wonder, Teach Preschool, The Educators’ Spin On It, The Golden Gleam, The Good Long Road, The Iowa Farmer’s Wife, and Toddler Approved for their help with this post!
Today’s post comes from Ticia, who blogs at Adventures in Mommydom! Ticia homeschools her twin sons and their younger sister. I am constantly learning new things through her blog! She has a great way of planning hands-on, highly interactive lessons. I especially enjoy her Science Sunday linky and her 50 States Study series. And I have her portable writing center on my “to-make” list! She also has a fabulous sense of humor!
 I’ve thought long and hard trying to come up with what is distinctive about Texas. It’s a big state, so that would really depend on what area you’re in.
I thought about sharing the Alamo, where Texans took their stand and said they were not going to surrender, but the computer ate my pictures of the Alamo. We have NASA, but the last time I went there I was in Junior High, so no pictures for that either.
Finally, I knew what to talk about. Texas is crazy hot 9 months out of the year, I only exaggerate slightly, but for the month of March and part of April we have the most gorgeous hillsides you’ll see.
They’re covered in bluebonnets, those are the state flower. There are many different shades and varieties. There’s even a rare version called "Alamo’s Tears," that is red. Every year you can find the hillsides of Texas covered in flowers and families making the trek to get pictures of their kids in the flowers.
Some years the fields are blue with flowers, other years, like last year, you only see a few sparse ones because of droughts.
But, there’s a story called “Legend of the Bluebonnet,” that tells how we got our precious flower. A young girl gave up her favorite thing to help her village, and she was rewarded with the most beautiful flowers.
Ages ago we made bluebonnets to help us remember the story. It’s a fun easy project that just takes poster paint in a couple of colors and children willing to put their hands in paint.
Well, that’s my very anecdotal story about Texas, this doesn’t tell you super a lot about the state, but it tells you about the thing I think of most when I think of Texas.
Thank you, Ticia, for this lovely post! I always enjoy seeing bluebonnet photos, and hopefully I’ll see them in real life, someday! And I had no idea there were red bluebonnets!
Interested in guest posting for this series? Email mamasmilesblog at gmail dot com!
All three kids have loved the Tommee Tippee sippy cups I reviewed a couple years ago, so I was happy to give their Explora Sippy Cups a go! Lily was a fan, as you can tell! She loved the colors and the details of the pictures, and how it’s a more grown-up-looking cup rather than having a pronounced sippy spout. It uses the same valves as the earlier-stage Tommee Tippee sippy cups we own, so it still doesn’t leak and is easy for kids to use. We’re at the stage where we use regular cups for meals, but sippy cups are great for hikes and long car rides – and that’s where the insulation feature combined with the big kid look of these Explora cups is excellent!
Tommee Tippee sippy cups are now available at Target, both in-store and online (LOVING Target’s newly-expanded range of baby products!) The cups change based on your child’s age, and they have a line of baby bottles as well.
Intrigued? One product from the Tommee Tippee Explora line is available for a reader of this blog with a US address! To enter, please fill out this form with your name and email address. Want an extra entry? Head to the Tommee Tippee Explora Sippy Cups page on Target.com to find your favorite cup, and comment with a link to that favorite! Make sure the name in your comment matches the name you used to fill out the form! This giveaway will run through May 20th, when a winner will be chosen via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my notification email, before a replacement winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Katrina!
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Tommee Tippee Sippy Cups. I received a Tommee Tippee Explora Sippy Cup product as well as a promotional item as a thanks for my participation.”
It’s time for the summer edition of the All Year Round Blog Carnival, which is cohosted by sunnydaytodaymama, Mama Smiles, Winding Circle, The Mahogany Way, Smiling like Sunshine, Home Baked, famiglia&seoul, All Things Beautiful, Like Mama~Like Daughter, Plain Vanilla Mom, Little Homeschool Blessings, and Simple Whimsy! I enjoyed seeing all of the wonderful links in the Spring Edition of the the All Year Round Carnival – wonderful crafts, and so many posts celebrating the beauty of getting outdoors and making the most of nature!
I hope you’ll link up your old and new summer posts! The linky will stay open until September 1st, when we’ll switch over to autumn. Here are a few of our favorite summer activities:
What are your favorite summer activities? I hope you will also share them at this afternoon’s #creativekids twitter party, hosted by me and Rainy Day Mum at 3pm EST today!
Several weeks ago, I approached a group of kid bloggers and asked if they could make a project with their kids that would symbolize hope in the face of cancer. The response was tremendous, and I was able to compile their projects – many with tutorials – into a beautiful book.
I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and to be working with an incredibly talented group of bloggers who focus on fun, creative, and educational activities for kids! Each of us has worked with our children or students to create a craft that could be made by or for someone facing cancer. The projects in this book are stunning, and several include tutorials so that you can use to recreate the crafts at home with your own children or students!
We are sending the ebook version of this book out to anyone who donates at least $15 to the American Cancer society. An email with the download link, as well as a second link that allows you to purchase a hard copy of the book for an additional $10.52 will be sent once we receive your donation. The button below will take you directly to the our team page at the American Cancer Society, where you can make your donation:
If you donate but do not receive this email for any reason, or if you have trouble with the download, email smallhandsproject at gmail dot com.
I compiled this book as a way of celebrating thirty years of cancer survivorship – I went into surgery on May 14th thirty years ago! We are hoping to raise $3000 by July 4th (my 32nd birthday). We are running a blog hop to celebrate and raise funds so that, in the future, thirty years of cancer survivorship will be the norm, not the exception! Learn about each of the bloggers who participated in the book by visiting each blog on their assigned dates – some of the bloggers are running celebratory giveaways, too! I’ll be running a giveaway May 21st, so be sure to check back or subscribe to my blog (top right-hand corner)!
14 May Mama Smiles
15 May Artsy Craftsy Mom and Rainbows Within Reach
16 May B. Inspired, Mama!
17 May Rainy Day Mum and Imagination Soup
18 May Inspiration Laboratories
19 May Experimenting Mom
20 May Mama Mia’s Heart2Heart
21 May NurtureStore
22 May Living Montessori Now
23 May Mess for Less
24 May Having Fun at Home and CraftoArt
25 May Outlaw Mom
26 May Angelique Felix and Sense of Wonder
27 May Sun Hats & Wellie Boots
28 May Duck Duck Octopus
29 May Smiling like Sunshine
30 May Mommy with Selective Memory
31 May One Perfect Day
1 June The Educators’ Spin On It
2 June Kids Stuff World
3 June Rainy Day Mum
4 June Teach Preschool
5 June Dirt and Boogers
6 June Creative Connections for Kids and The Golden Gleam
7 June Montessori Tidbits
8 June Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
9 June The Iowa Farmer’s Wife
10 June Scribble Doodle and Draw
11 June Learn with Play
12 June Kitchen Counter Chronicles
13 June CRAYON Freckles
14 June Glittering Muffins
15 June Wise Owl Factory
16 June Crafty Maa
18 June Lessons Learnt Journal
20 June Growing a Jeweled Rose
21 June Growing Play
23 June JDaniel4′s Mom
We would love for you to support our project by posting the button in your sidebar for the duration of the event! You can grab the code below:
Thank you for your support!
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Celebrating everyday parenting through education, crafts, and play.
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