Tunes for Toddlers (and babies too!) September 22, 2010

I was on my way home from duty the other night. It had been a long shift, a long night, a long week. I was listening to my iPod, and just wanted something relaxing to mellow me out on the about-an-hour-ride. I went to the lullaby playlist I had made for the babies, then went  a little more specifically to one album that I love; Sleep Baby Sleep by Nicolette Larson. This is a CD I had originally bought over ten years ago, when I was working at a kids toy store called Noodle Kidoodle. The Manchild was about two years old maybe, and since I loved Nicolette Larson’s voice on another CD I had, I thought it would be a great sleepy-time CD for him. Good choice.

This CD is great for children and adults alike, either if you want something to lull your babies or even older children to sleep, or even if you want something for yourself. When I played this for The Popo when she was going through an impossible phase, the hubby liked it so much he used to ask me to continue playing it even when we went to bed.

A second lullaby CD I picked up around the same time that we have also enjoyed very much throughout the years is a compilation of lullabies by several artists, Lullaby – A Collection.

This was supposed to be only two CDs here, but one more that I was originally exposed to almost twenty years ago (making me feel ancient now!) was Disney For Our Children. When I first discovered this, it was before the days of CDs, when we were cassette crazy, and one side had some more upbeat music while the other side had more soft lullaby type music. I loved this one so much that I did upgrade to the CD when The Manchild was a toddler. I don’t have this one loaded on the iPod, which just serves as a reminder that I will have to get my hands on it when we return home for a visit. I think the babies will love it!

All of these CDs are ones that The Manchild liked so much he still listens to them on occasion, even though he is thirteen (minus the Disney one). He still likes to fall asleep to music and sometimes listens to the lullabies on his iPod.

OK… I just changed the title from Two for Toddlers, because while I have been typing away here, I thought of one more fun children’s CD that I had to also recommend, Joanie Bartels Bathtime Magic. You probably couldn’t go wrong with any of her CDs, but this is one that I used to enjoy with children that I babysat and the Manchild.

How about you, do you have any favorites that everyone in the family loves?

And one more… This is one that they used to listen to with the children at daycare when The Manchild was a Toddler. He loved it so much and I thought it was so great that I hunted all over for it! It’s called Kids in Motion. The Manchild liked it everywhere, even in the car, but it serves as a great tool to get the kiddos moving when you are stuck in the house, while at the same time, even working the mind a little as they pretend to be different animals and such.

I listed links to these CDs so they would be easily accessible if you are interested in looking a little further at any of them. Though most of them are linked through Amazon, I am not linking them as an affiliate of any sorts, and I do not earn any points, gifts, or cash prizes if you look or buy. I listed these only as suggestions to you because our family has had great enjoyment out of each of these.

Spoonful of Sugar September 13, 2010

When the Manchild was an infant/toddler it seems there were a few stretches where he spent more time sick than well. He certainly had his share of illnesses, and with that came his share of medications. I’m not sure where I came across this tool, but I found The First Years medicine syringe to be the best medicine dispenser a mom could ask for.

Apparently now it is marketed as The American Red Cross medicine syringe, but it is exactly the same design as the one that I bought twelve +/- years ago and am still using for the Popo and the Baby. My Amazon search brought up several items that would do the same job, and I think that #3 on the list, the Oral Medication Syringe by Monoject, would do the job quite nicely for a tiny fraction of the price. I had a short stint with the first item on the Amazon list, the same idea put out by Safety First, but I didn’t like that one as well.

The benefits I have found to using a syringe are especially so with an infant or very young toddler who might not be cooperating. Measuring couldn’t be easier, there is essentially no spillage, you can dose it as slowly as needed so there is no spitting back out, and if necessary, you can place the syringe in the back of the cheek area which minimizes spitting loss especially with very young infants.

Just my thought/little tip for the day

***Just so you know, this is purely my own personal opinion developed by my experience using this product. I did not receive any gifts or payments for writing this post***

H 2 the O August 5, 2010

A couple of months ago I got onto a kick of drinking not much of anything except water. Somewhere along the line I added those carbonated beverage back in here and there, and along with that came the juice drinks from a powdered origin, that’s how they roll here. I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that I. just. feel. like. crap. I am always tired, sometimes achey, and severely lacking in the motivation-to-do-anything department. I think it’s time for me to get my drink back on.

Remember a few years ago (maybe 5 or 6 years) when the Nalgene bottles were the new-to-the-scene rage? I picked me and The Manchild up one each of them at the EMS store, along with a trusty mouth guard thingy. About a year later I picked up three more at one of my favorite places, L.L.Bean. They were on sale, and I had lost mine, so how could I not? This time the hubby got one too.

The next thing I know, avoiding #7 plastics is all the rage. Of course, what do you think I found on the bottom our Nalgene bottles? Why, yes, of course, #7, #7, #7. You are not a lucky number, are you?

Let me just go off on a side note tangent about this… I am no expert on plastics and the numbers that you find on them. I have not done any kind of extensive research on plastics and the good, bad, or the ugly that may be associated with them. I have done a little reading here and there that put me on a kick a while ago in which I just wanted to avoid plastic food containers altogether. This kick was short lived, but I still try to avoid the plastics when possible. The point that I’m trying to get at here is how I came to find my treasure, the Klean Kanteen.

So. Back to L.L. Bean I went, the land of satisfaction guaranteed. I refturned those Nalgene #7′s because I was not satisfied with the possibility, whether real, or remote, or not, that they were leeching chemicals into my water. And there, sitting so pretty on the shelf, I saw it, the Bean Kanteen. So pretty in pink. I picked up one that day, and eventually returned to add a plain stainless to the family collection.

I can’t say enough good things about these containers. I have never had one leak on anything, Though they have been dropped a million plus one times, they have only minor scratches and a few small dents here and there. I’m not sure if this can be possible, but the ones we have are not insulated, but they seem to keep our water colder for a longer time period than the average plastic bottle. I’ve had a million compliments on them along with the “where did you get thats?”

So. Are you ready to get your drink on? You will feel so much better, I promise. And if you pick up a reusable container like mine, you will also be friendly to the earth!

‘B’ Says Buh September 2, 2009

Do you remember those magnetic letters that were about 1-2 inches… they were all over every refrigerater in every house throughout the late 70′s, early 80′s, and possibly the 90′s as well?  If you are around my age, you played with them endlessly, forming word after word after word, sentences if you could. 

 

There was a fisher price school desk that had word templates you could use with those letters.  I received one of those as a gift when I graduated Kindergarten I think, and I loved it for a long time.  I’d love for my girls to enjoy the endless hours of play I had with that desk; I’ve been scoping them out on ebay.

I don’t think The Manchild had letters like those; they weren’t very popular at the time he would have used them I guess, and those were before the days of ebay and etsy.

 

While I was scoping out some magnetic letters on ebay a while back, I came across a Leap Frog Fridge Phonics set.  I was really only looking for a replica of the set I had as a child; the girls are too young for the FP desk yet, but I thought they would have a lot of fun with the letter magnets.  I was intrigued by some of the posts for this that I came across on ebay, and it seemed that this was a pretty popular set.

I placed a bid on one that seemed to be a good deal, and I won.  It arrived on my doorstep, I opened it up and wiped it all down, and stuck it up on the fridge.  The babies flocked to this new toy; something they generally don’t see a lot of in the house.  I demonstrated for them how to place the letter magnet in the base and press for the song, which is quite cute.  We’re now months later and I must say that it travels all over the house, and it is quite the  favorite toy.

 

The age on the box as shown here says “2+”, but The Baby who is just 18 months old now LOVES this as much as big sister does (if not more), and she has started singing along in her own way.  I think this is a great toy that mixes learning with fun!

 

*Please note that I am just a recreational blogger, and this is purely ONLY my personal opinion based on my experience.  I was not asked to write this post, and I received nothing for doing so.   

Within Arms Reach August 20, 2009

When I was pregnant with The Manchild, I was a big preacher of no sir, nuh-uh, not me… as in, I’m not going to be one of those parents who has a kid sleeping with them every night; you know the ones, they say if you start that business of babies sleeping in your bed, you will never have another night alone, right?  Well, with him, I pretty much stuck to my guns, and he slept in the crib (though it happened to be in the same room), unless he was sick.  You see, he frequently had ear infections, and when one came on out of nowhere, always in the middle of the night, he would only sleep if he was literally lying right on top of mama.  Through the toddler years there were times I let him climb into my bed and sleep the night there because here and there couldn’t hurt, but generally speaking, as a rule, he slept solo in his own bed.

 

When Popo was born, she also roomed with us, but because she was so demanding is spirited, she required a little more attention.  She would often not sleep for more than 30 seconds at a time, and if we ever tried to put her down in bed, forget  it.  She was most happy, and slept the longest, when she was right on one of our chests.  This led to night after night of sleeping while somewhat sitting, and if she was ever put down in the crib, she stayed with us in our bed for the rest of the night after the first feeding anyway.

 

When The Baby came home 14 months after Popo was born, we were very short on space and had both of them rooming with us.  Popo was sleeping through the night at that point, and would go to bed in the crib, generally without incident.  For the first week or so I slept in a big cushy over-sized chair we have in the living room because I didn’t want to wake Popo up every time I had to feed The Baby (c-section #3).  The Baby slept on my chest or next to me in the bassinet.  After about a week, we moved into the bedroom, and Popo slept in her crib over by daddy, and The Baby slept in the bassinet next to mama, or on mama, or between the two of us. 

 

With Popo, I had eyed the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper a few times before her arrival, but decided that it was just too costly for such a short time period.  I had never seen them before, and hadn’t heard anything about them, so the idea of looking into it  a little deeper didn’t really cross my mind.  Because of the difficulties I had with nursing, I had joined La Leche League, and received the magazine, which was full of interesting ads, one of which was for the co-sleeper.  By the time I decided it was a really good idea, it was too late to bother with it because she was too big anyway.  BUT for The Baby, my radar was working overtime.  When she was about a month old, I spotted one at the consignment store for $40.00!!!  WHAT A STEAL. 

Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper

The Baby stayed in the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper for about 9 months, and everyone was happy.  As far as I’m concerned, it is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  For nursing and bottle-feeding moms alike, this keeps baby close enough that all you have to do is roll over.  If you like the idea of co-sleeping, but you are too afraid to have baby right in bed with you, this is perfect.  I found that having The Baby in this, being right next to us, she went down much easier at (the first) bed time, and there was no struggling to get her back to sleep in the middle of the night.

 

Now for a few words on the co-sleeping in general.  I for sure am a convert, in that I would not hesitate to have a baby sleep either in a co-sleeper attached to the bed, or even right in bed with me.  There is a lot of research supporting both sides; it’s a good idea/it’s not safe.  After my personal experience, I think that everyone (mom, dad, and baby) was happier when we weren’t against the idea of or afraid of sleeping with baby.  Baby seemed to sleep a lot better, and there were no struggles getting her down for the night.  We didn’t have any trouble moving the girls into their own bedroom when we  moved; Popo went first, and The Baby followed shortly after.  18 months later and they two party like rock stars when it’s bed time… we didn’t end up with children sleeping with us until they were teenagers, but I must also say that now I don’t think there is anything wrong with a child who feels comfortable enough and close enough that they can sleep with mom and dad when they want.

 

***Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and personal experience only, I am not a medical expert.

Frugal Safety? August 14, 2009

When The Manchild was ready to move into a forward facing seat, I didn’t do a lot of research per se, but I did know that the 5-point restraint system was a safer seat to go with.  I took a trip over to Toys-R-Us and picked out a mid-priced seat that looked like it would be comfy and had a simple 5-point restraint system.

 

The Popo could have spent 18-24 months in her little bucket infant carrier because she was such a peanut, but by the time she was 14 months old I wasn’t going to buy another bucket seat (only to be used a few more months) with The Baby about to arrive any day.  This time I did a little more research, and decided on the Britax Marathon.  What I really liked about this seat (other than it had excellent safety ratings)was that it would hold a rear-facing child up to 35 lbs, and forward facing up to 65 lbs; no need to change car seats every year due to exceeding the weight limit.

Britax Marathon

 

Fast forward 17 months to The Baby finally needing to move out of her bucket seat.  With our upcoming move the the Philippines, I don’t want to dish out another $279 for a Britax Marathon (don’t plan on spending so much time in the car over there), but I want something safe that is certified for aircraft usage.

 

Back to consumer reports I went (I’ve been looking over the last several months at the ratings there), to find that the extra car seat I purchased both for the DH’s and my aunt’s cars, the Cosco Scerena, is rated as EXCELLENT both for craash protection and forward facing fit-to-vehhicle.

Jaw on the floor.

Cosco Scenera

This is a seat I had chosen for DH’s and auntie’s cars becuse it was:

• Convertible – I wanted something that could keep The Baby rear facing as long as possible, but still switch to forward facing
• Simple to use – It would probably be switching vehicles often
• ONLY $40 at Walmart when I bought it originally.  I later purchased 2 more on sale for $40 each at Target

 

Now this is what I have to say about this seat:

In my experience, it was not simple to use for rear-facing; it did not seem possible to get a snug fit-to-vehicle when rear-facing.  It doesn’t appear to be a comfy seat when compared to others (like the Britax), but only because it is plain and simple; no pads on the straps, and no thick, cushy foam.  Important note to keep in mind, the kids don’t seem to mind.

As a forward-facing seat, so far I have been able to install it quickly and easily with a nice snug fit-to-vehicle. 

Overall my only complaint is that to me it seems like it might not be very comfortable on a  longer trip because the cover is so thin.

 

My fix for the problem was to leave the bucket seat with auntie in case of an emergency since The Baby still just fits in there, and take one of the Scenera’s for my car.  If auntie knows ahead of time that she needs a seat I’ll just do a switch for the day.  Since it only weighs about 9 lbs, compared to the Britax’s 20 lbs, 2 of the Scenera’s will be making a trip overseas with us!

 

***This post is 100% my personal opinion written from my own personal experiences as a consumer, NOT AN EXPERT.  I DID NOT get anything from anyone to write this post.

Blisters Be Gone July 24, 2009

…or at least let me forget about you.

I saw a post somewhere, I think under a ‘Works-For-Me-Wednesday’ carnival, about these new Band Aid brand bandages specifically for blisters.

Now internet, before I tell you what I really think about these bandages, let me fist give you the full disclosure that I received no money, free products, coupons, or for that matter anything at all for posting this…  THESE.BANDAGES.ARE.GOD’S.GIFT.TO.HUMANS.

I’m not sure there is a way for me to make that statement any more strongly than I just did. 

 

A few weeks ago my sister-in-law stopped by and offered me about $30 she had left to spend on her medical-flex card.  I figured, sure, why not, I mean, I can use it to just buy some asprin and miscellaneaous stuff that is good to have on hand.  She was sure she didn’t want to use it for stuff like that, so off to the drugstore I went.  I spied the box of these bandages sitting on the shelf, begging for a new home, and into the cart they went.

 

Yesterday I wore a pair of shoes that are ‘newer’, but have never given me any issuuse.  Until yesterday.  I stopped off at Target on the way home to pick up some diapers, and by that time, the blister was so painful that I was walking around the store with no shoes on.  Waiting for security to ask me to either get the shoes on or leave the store.  I was thankfully able to complete the errand without incident, other than an asociate commenting on barefoot being the way to go, and that wasn’t until I was in line waiting to pay.

 

So this morning I remembered that I had these new bandages and I promptly went and grabbed one out of the medicine box and applied it to the wound.  Except for the mental note I kept reading about how I really had to write up something about how wonderful these bandages are, I fogot that I even had a blister, even though I am wearing a rather uncomfortable pair of shoes today!

 

Internet, you must get a box of these to have on hand, because they are just absolutely amazing!

Sequence June 16, 2009

Several years ago my mother came  home from a visit with my grandmother addicted to a new game.  Sequence.  We have a camp up north that is literally in the middle of the woods.  On a lake.  Without electricity.  Or clean running water.  Really.  And we LOVE it!!!

 

Anyway, our family tradition has generally been to sit around the picnic-table-style kitchen table in the evenings and have ‘camp championship’ games of one game or another.  Up to this point it had generally been Uno.  Little did the simple card game know that it was soon to be replaced by another game.

 

The Manchild is now 12, but he has been playing this game noted for ages 8-99, since he was no older than 6.  Since he started playing, the company has come out with a Sequence for Kids version, which I will have to keep in mind for the babies in the next year or so.

 

Another favorite of the family that The Manchild also picked up from a very early age is Mancala.  I have both the version tha folds and stores itself in a tin, and the long board version.  I prefer the folding board that goes in a the metal tin because it is perfect for traveling, vacations, picnics, or whatever else you can think of.

 

Morgan at Adventures in Daipering posted today about the Best Board Games for Kids, which is what led me to this product review that I hadn’t intended on writing this morning.  With summer coming, and children out of school looking for something to do, or family vacations with quality time, board games are a perfect idea.  We have been having some cold and rainy weather in our area for this time of year, which is another opportunity for us to have some quality family time without the TV.

 

I hope you are brave enough to try Sequence if you haven’t already, and if you have any other favorite games you think we should try out, let me know.