Best Play Date Ever

I knew this play date was going to be a success from the moment JD stepped out of the car onto the gravel driveway and exclaimed, "They have rocks here?!  I LOVE THIS PLACE!"


A little drizzle didn't stop us from swimming, sliding, and making personal pizzas with our friends.  A great time was had by all!

swimmin' in the rain, just swimmin' in the rain...

Straight-out-the-hose, cold water didn't deter O.  JD wasn't as brave.

Perfect outdoor play date lunch activity- especially when wearing swimsuits: English muffin pizza!  O did a great job all by himself! 

Somebody loves cheese.

It is no surprise that my friend is an elementary school teacher- she was such a fun & patient host to my little guys.  And her kids are equally charming and imaginative.  I have to start thinking of fun things to do when I host them... any ideas out there?  I guess I should go look at all those things I've been pinning.

Small Business Saturday Gift Ideas

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope everyone is enjoying time with their loved ones and indulging in some extra pie.  We're rushing through preparations here so we can relax and watch the parade before the crowd arrives.  My mom has already cooked & carved 2 smaller turkeys and is getting the BIG guy ready to go in the oven.  I look forward to the chaos of this day all year.  
And as you're browsing through the crazy amount of sale flyers that came with today's newspaper, please keep Small Business Saturday in mind.   


My car was in the shop this past week, and when I went to pick it up, I ended up in a conversation with the owner about how times have changed in the 30 years since he opened his business.  And it got me thinking.  


I had planned to support Small Business Saturday, but by "support" I meant shop at my favorite little gift boutiques in town.  I will still be doing this, but I am also thinking outside the box to include other small, local, family-run businesses in my community.  Gifts don't have to come from shops that traditionally cater to holiday shoppers (and my friend at the auto body shop would be ecstatic to set you up with a gift card! And no lines!)


Here are some ideas I came up with to satisfy my shopping list. Please add your own in the comments.

Gift certificates 
lessons (swimming, ballet, piano, baseball, painting, sewing, etc.)
barber
car wash or detailing
gym, stroller strides, or zumba classes
paintball or laser tag
local hardware store
computer repair or tune-up
salon or spa
cleaning service
local theater or art gallery
bed & breakfast or small inn
landscaper/snow shoveler
handyman/carpentry work
favorite diner or breakfast spot
carpet cleaning
pet grooming
florist
furniture or home decor


If you don't want to just hand somebody a gift card (I'm all about having something to unwrap.), most of these businesses sell something to pair up- fancy shampoo with the salon gift certificate, or a new flash drive with a computer tune-up.  


Shop for your treats at the local bakery instead of the super store, and remember the family-owned drug store when you need wrapping paper or a bottle of perfume. 


And if you're looking for something even more personal, ask around about local artists, craftspeople, and musicians.  Or search etsy. 


It may be more time consuming than ordering everything from Amazon, and I'm not looking forward to all of the in-and-out of the car with the boys, but I know this will make gift giving feel even better this year.

6 Great Gift Ideas for a One-Year-Old

It's that time of year where everyone starts asking me for gift ideas for the boys.  Everybody wants to get them something fun, but I need to save some special gifts for us & Santa, so it's alway a struggle.  This year I'm really at a loss because O just had a birthday, and he has a ton of hand-me-down stuff from JD.


In an effort to help you, I'm sharing some of the cool gifts that O received from our awesome friends & family.  

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Dance And Play Puppy

Both O and JD LOVE this one!  The mechanics are noisy, but you can still hear all the things he says/sings, and the hand clapping excites O every time.  There are over 25 songs & phrases, and he has our favorites: "If You're Happy and You Know It" and the ABCs.  JD is quick to point out, however, that he sings "Do Your Ears Hang Low" & "Pat-a-Cake" WRONG.  You don't throw the cake in the air!  You mark it with a "B"!

Mwwahhhhh!  There is an adorable video of him kissing it as soon as he unwrapped it, but it's buried in a ton of unedited party footage.

Here's a video of O playing so you can hear how loud the motor is.  And see how cute he is.

Little People Peek n Discover Backyard

We love all the Little People toys.  They are still JD's favorite thing to play with, and they keep him busy for big chunks of time every day.  For his birthday, we got O a bunch of his own since it really pisses JD off when O messes with his organization of the people.  And JD totally knows which little person goes with one of his sets or with one of O's. He's a funny little man.

We like this backyard set because it comes with a DOG and a TRIKE- two things O is very into!

LeapFrog My First Book

O really likes things that talk to him.  And he likes pushing buttons- especially when his brother isn't tackling him to do it first.  These talking books are great for the car and for when I'm trying to occupy O at one of JD's doctor appointments.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Screen Laptop

JD has the LeapFrog Leaptop, but I like this one better for O because the buttons are bigger and more baby-friendly.  And it has O's dog friend.  It has a dozen different songs and many more educational phrases in English and Spanish.  For under $20, you can't beat it!

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case

My favorite!  This is a drool-proof, drop-proof playful case for my iTouch.  The boys love playing games, but they are constantly pushing the circle button and losing where they were.  Not only does this keep the iTouch safe, but they can't get to the home button.  This way I can hand it to them in the back seat with a video or game set up, and they can't mess it up.  Sometimes the touch screen doesn't work properly through the case, but we have been using the iTouch 20x more now that I can hand it to them and not worry.
It also has a mirror on the back and teething rings around it.  I can't wait to bring this along on our next road trip! 

Vtech - Explore and Learn Helicopter

One more education toy.  This one also has songs and phrases about colors & shapes, but it has one thing the other don't.  BALLS.  I didn't even have to explain this one to O.  He'll pop the balls in over & over & over.  And it has a string so he can drag it around the house.
JD has been OBSESSED with helicopters lately, so it is just killing him that this is O's toy.  Good thing O likes to share.


The only decent ideas I have for Christmas gifts are a tiny toddler table for in the kitchen (our table is bar hight, and the chairs are just a bit tall for my wiggle worms) and those inflatable toddler beds for when we travel.  I'm looking at the ones that are a full tent, since it's hell to get JD to stay in a bed in a hotel room.


What ideas do you have for your kids for the holidays?


*The links go through my Amazon Associates account.

Tuesday Tip: Fall in Love With Your Skin

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://moms.dailybuzz.com/channel/style.


After months of hanging outside, slathering on sunscreen & bug spray (or forgetting to), not drinking enough water, and neglecting to follow any beauty regimen, my skin isn't something I would consider lovable.  It's been almost a year since I had that healthy pregnancy glow, and all of the skin issues I had before the boys are back: acne, rosacea, dryness.  I've had enough time to adjust to chasing two boys, and now I'm ready to spend a little more time taking care of me.

There will be more smily pics of me around here once I get my skin in check.  Anyone have something great for those bags under my eyes?  You know- besides actual sleep.

A few weeks ago, I tossed all of my old makeup and spent my "day off" getting a mini-makeover at the mall.  My new cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer & makeup routine makes me feel more grownup and even pushes me to throw on something other than stretchy pants.  O's morning nap and an episode of Sesame Street for JD gives me all the time I need to get myself showered and put together.

I also made a promise to myself to schedule regular facial appointments and get a manicure every once in a while.  Enjoying a bit of pampering and having an easy-to-maintain beauty routine will not only help me look better, but it will make me feel better.  You don't have to spend a fortune.  If you're anything like me, you have a closet full of half-full and forgotten beauty products that can turn your bathroom into a spa.  


So step away from the internet and go do something nice for your skin!

Thank you to Walgreens for sponsoring this blog post. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday Tip: Camping With a Baby

Happy Camper Baby JD

I grew up a "camper".  My family's favorite spot to camp is at a county park right on the Atlantic.  We spend a lot of time during the summer camping with my parents, and for the past two years, that has included bringing the babies.  There are a lot of things about camping that can be dangerous for kids, but it can also be soooooo much fun.

Here is what I bring to make it easier (and safer):

JD's first camping trip

• Pack n' Play. O sleeps and plays in it while we are camping.  When he and JD were super tiny, we brought the moses basket.
• Portable highchair.  Sitting at a picnic table can be tough for little guys.  Plus, sometimes you just need somewhere to stick a baby so that they are safe.  
• Camping toys.  We try to have special "camping toys" that are extra exciting (and occupy them for longer) because they only see them when we are camping.  These include a kite, remote control car, sidewalk chalk, cornhole, special teething toys that are easy to clean, and all kinds of balls.
• Baby pool.  We use this on the beach and at the camp site.
• Extra blankets.  Not just for sleeping, but for crawling on or snuggling up in around the campfire.  
• A lot of snacks!  Duh

Any other tips are pretty similar to my road trip tips: things will get dirty (We use the term "camp clean", which means "clean enough for camp"),  pack extra sippy cups & pacifiers, go with the flow, and take a ton of pics.

We take a lot of walks while we are camping.  And it will be the perfect place to teach JD to ride a bike.

cornhole champion

kite time

where we put the baby

Are you a camper?

Tuesday Tip: Taking a Day Off

I finally did it.  I hired a babysitter to come for a large chunk of time once a week.


I had been so torn because I felt guilty about spending the money, guilty about wanting to spend time away from the boys, frustrated about not being able to do EVERYTHING, overwhelmed by Hubby's work schedule (which became my "work schedule" by default- super long days, 7 days a week), and also totally deserving of a break for some time to myself.


It is wonderful.


We are two weeks in, and there is no going back.  I now know a set time that I can schedule appointments or meet a friend for lunch.  I can sit at my desk and write, or scrapbook, or do a million other things that were on the back burner for years.  I can do something other than just be Mom.


The first week, I stayed home, because (I'm embarrassed to say) O had never gone down to nap without me.  I reorganized and cleared off my desk to the point that I can actually use it for the first time in over a year.  I read, I made phone calls, I finished projects in 20 minutes that would have taken me all day if I was doing it while watching the boys.  And then I made a REAL dinner.  It was awesome.


The second week, I left pumped milk for O and went out for the entire afternoon.  I came home refreshed and in such good mood, I almost didn't recognize myself.  (And O napped & was just as smiley when I got home as he usually is.)  And the best part is I can spend more QUALITY time with the boys now because I'm not trying to do a million other things at the same time.  


Basically the tip here is to give yourself a break.  Even if it's a small one.  If you don't have a babysitter, trade time with a friend.  I know of moms that swap sit regularly to get their workouts in.  We deserve it!

Tuesday Tip: Getting Ready for Pre-School

(Is it really pre-school when he's just two and going for 4 hours/week?)


Anyway, here is what we have done to get JD ready for pre-school.

1. When we were deciding on a school, I took JD along on the tour.  While I talked to the teacher, he watched the kids paint and checked out all of the toys. As we were leaving, they were getting ready for snack. He was so sad that he couldn't stay for the special Cars pretzels they were having that he still talks about going to "school snack".
2. We read about school.  Today, his favorite is Froggy Goes To School.   He will be very upset when he realizes that he is not going on a "SCHOOL BUS!!!!!" (Why does every book about school have a bus?  We live two blocks from the elementary school, so he won't get a bus then either.)
3. We got a lunch box (even though he doesn't need it, but I read about it at Baby Rabies and had to have it) and a backpack.  Most days I find him in his room after nap ready to "go school".
4. JD knows that he will be a "Guppy" and that his teacher's name is Miss Lorraine.  It sounds like "Mess Irene" when he says it, but it's close enough and kind of relevant.  I want him to feel like he knows her before he gets there, so we talk about what he will do with Miss Lorraine (paint, sing, SNACK), and he talks about showing her his lunch box and "packpack".
5. I sign JD (and O) up for every class available at our local library.  They are great for introducing structure, playtime with kids his age, and a student/teacher relationship. Before each class (and also his My Gym classes), we talk about listening to the teacher, taking turns, and sitting at circle time (our biggest challenge).  Even in a new class or with a new teacher, I can see that JD identifies the authority figure in the room and he knows that listening to them will usually lead to good things.

and something I WILL do since I don't know any moms sending their kids to our pre-school:  After orientation, I will (get over my own nervousness and) set up a playdate with someone in his class so there will be a familiar face on the first day.  Our school does allow moms to come in if they want to, but I know the best things would be to kiss him goodbye at the door and leave. 

JD's first day is Sept. 13th, so you know I will be a mess sharing how it goes.

off to school

Tuesday Tip: Toddler First Aid Kit

Last weekend, Hubby went away for his annual "Man Weekend", and I had a babysitter come over on Sunday so I could have a tiny break.  Awesome!  (That's a tip all on it's own.  Give yourself a break!)

JD couldn't wait to show her his Cars band-aid on his boo boo, so I let her know that he cut his toe and to please be careful if she put his shoe on.

Well, while I was gone, the band-aid came off, and I was so embarrassed to realize that the babysitter had to hunt down a band-aid in our messy first aid drawer in the bathroom.  And she couldn't find the Cars ones, which were in the beach bag.  Not good.

So I decided to clean out a drawer that was full of random junk and fill it with toddler-friendly first-aid-type things that are usually hidden in different bags, drawers, and cabinets around the house.

Some of the contents:

• Cars Band-aids
• All of the creams we've accumulated 
• Sunscreen
• Thermometers
• Pain relievers
• Baby Medbasics with a list of important phone numbers inside (cell phones, doctors, neighbors)
• Nasal aspirator
• Nail clipper
• Baby cotton swabs

What else would you include?

  

Tuesday Tips for a Bored Preschooler (Guest Post)

I'm happy to introduce Emily Patterson and share her tips for beating your preschooler's boredom.  I don't have a preschooler (or maybe I do...when does one become a preschooler?), but these ideas can be adapted for my boys, and they also make me excited for the days when we can do things like sit still long enough for a listening game or play with scissors!  


Bust Your Preschooler's Summertime Boredom


What could be worse than a rainy summer day, when your children are cooped up inside and you have nothing planned? For parents, even sunny days that seem filled with endless opportunities, still yield the inevitable “I’m bored!” Undoubtedly, your children will utter those words at least once during the upcoming summer months.


Studies show that without stimulation, children can lose up to 60 percent of what they learned at their child care center or school. Primrose Schools, a family of 200 accredited private preschools, suggests the key to overcoming summertime boredom and the “brain drain” effect is to encourage imaginative play and have a plan in place to keep children engaged during the summer months.


“It’s important to keep children’s minds active during the summer, but it doesn’t take an expensive activity or big vacation to capture their attention,” said Dr. Mary Zurn, Vice President of Education for Primrose. “After all, imagination is free.”


Summer is a great time to encourage children to let their imaginations soar...Here are 10 ideas parents can use to keep young minds active during the summer break:


1.Beat the Boredom Jar: At the beginning of the summer, sit down with your family and brainstorm a list of activities that can be done alone or that you can enjoy doing together. Next, write everyone’s ideas down on slips of paper and as a group decide which ones should go in the jar. Anyone in the family can pull any idea out of the jar to fight the summertime boredom blues.


2. Stories Alive: It sounds too simple, but reading is one of the most important ways to keep young minds engaged during the summer. Make reading even more fun by finding ways to bring the stories to life.


3. Art Treasure Chest: You’ll need to gather basic art supplies–child safe scissors, glue, markers, tape, and construction paper. Put them in a special box along with empty oatmeal boxes and paper towel rolls, colorful magazines, and bits of aluminum foil. Occasionally add a special surprise like chalk, stickers, or stamp pads so there’s always something new for the children to find.


4. Family Performances: Break out old clothes or costumes and encourage children to make up charactersand create a play to act out and let them be the directors, actors, and producers. They can also make musical instruments out of pots/pans, wooden spoons, empty canisters and have a parade; or everyone can play along to your family’s favorite songs.


5. Fort Building: Children love to build all kinds of structures--from small towns to large towers. Constructing forts or tents is an activity that can keep children focused and problem solving for hours. All the items you need can be found around the house–some chairs, cushions, blankets.


6. Cookbook Fun: Have you ever shared your favorite cookbook with your children? Take it out and ask your children to choose a recipe to try. Measuring can be a fun and easy way to keep math skills fresh.


7. Summer Scrapbook: All you need for this project is a spiral notebook. Encourage everyone in the family to draw pictures of favorite activities and collect mementos from special events throughout the summer. Children love to go back through scrapbooks and albums and tell about what happened at each occasion.


8. Listening Game: Lie down in the backyard, in the den or at the park and listen. What do you hear? Do you hear what I hear? Can you imitate the sound? This is similar to watching the clouds and naming the shapes, and it encourages everyone to slow down and focus on listening.


9. Camping Out: Pretend to campout in the backyard. Plan a meal, pack a backpack and set up a campsite. Pitch a tent and spend the night!


10. Scavenger Hunt: Make a list or picture cards of common household items and have your children find the items on the list. Invite friends or neighbors to join in the fun to make it a competition.


“Keeping children engaged with open-ended activities that stretch their imaginations during the summer months helps them develop their independence, creativity, and thinking,” said Dr. Zurn. “We want to help parents keep the “brain drain” at bay while their children play.”


When preparing for a brain-drain-free summer, remember to suggest or provide age appropriate activities. Many times, children say they are bored because the activity they were doing was either too simple or too advanced to keep them occupied for long. Activities should be fun and challenge what they know, but should keep in line with the interests and developmental levels of your children.


So with these tips in mind, sit down with your family and make a plan for an engaging, imaginative and fun summer.


Thanks, Emily!  If you have a tip that you would love to share on TryItMom, contact me!

Tuesday Tip: Baby at the Beach

A friend shared a great idea for making our beach trips a little easier, and I couldn't wait to try it out last week.  Taking both boys to the beach has been a challenge because I still need to keep a very close eye on JD, but O is crawling, eating sand, storing rocks in his mouth- basically getting into trouble in any way he can.  

To keep him occupied in one spot, I brought JD's Safety 1st booster seat along.  It wasn't difficult to carry- I just folded it up and hung it over my shoulder by the straps- and it is very light.  I could strap O in, put the tray on, and let him play while I also gave tons of attention to JD.  We put some water on it to splash in, gave him a few toys, and he was content for much longer than I had feared.  Bonus: I could use it to feed both of the boys without most of their lunch landing in the sand!

Happy to be sitting in the big boy seat

flirting

We put him under the tent for some shade.

We all had a great time!

**It is important to note that he was still able to bend over and reach the ground, so placing him on a mat or towel prevented him from eating sand.  Also, with enough force, he could tip himself over backwards (since the seat is meant to be used against a chair with a back), but you could pile up sand behind the seat to prevent that.  This is NOT a substitute for watching your baby at the beach- just a way to make it a little less stressful.

Tuesday Tip: Transitioning to the Toddler Bed

A few weeks before his second birthday, JD started climbing out of his bed with incredible ease.  He wouldn't even stay in it 2.5 seconds, so we started putting him to sleep on the bean bag in his room.  My fears about putting him in a toddler bed started coming true.  He fought naps & going to sleep at night, walked out of his room a kazillion times after we put him in there, and surprised us in our bed at 3am.

Our temporary solution was to lie next to him until he fell asleep, and I thank Hubby for spending a lot of time doing that during those first couple weeks (although he did get some naps out of it himself).  On nights that Hubby worked late, it was a circus trying to get both O and JD to sleep!

Right away, Hubby suggested that we put a door knob lock on the inside of his door so he couldn't open it, but I was really hesitant.  I didn't want him to be banging the door down screaming when he realized he was trapped, and I didn't want him to feel like going to bed at night was some kind of punishment.  But, after realizing that it wasn't safe for him to have free reign of the house while we slept, I agreed that it needed to happen.  He freaked out the first couple times, but over time he has stopped trying to open the door and just calls for us to come get him.

He received awesome new monster bedding for his birthday (custom ordered from Trouser), and we converted his crib to a toddler bed.

Adorable, right?!  And you can't see it in the picture, but the blanket is soooooooo soft!

We made a HUGE deal about the big boy bed, and tucked him in for a nap with high hopes.

And when I checked on him, he was back on the bean bag.

 This went on for a few days.  He would get out of bed at some point during the nap/night and fall asleep on the bean bag.  While we were happy that he was sleeping, I really wanted to get him sleeping in the bed, so we took the bean bag away.


This is what we found the next morning:

He built a nest out of pillow pets and story book pillows.  Gotta give the guy some credit for that!

So once we took those things away, he did start staying in the bed.  We'd sneak in to see him like this:

upside down

 and this:

feet hanging off

Over the past few days, he has started snuggling up under the blankets and putting his head on the pillow.  He's really getting it!  He loves reading books in bed, and he always asks me and hubby to "nap" next to him. 

We LOVE seeing this on the monitor.

And the reading in bed melts my heart.

A major bonus to the toddler bed is the morning!  Now when he wakes up, he plays for a while before he calls for us to get him. It's even better when O plays in the exersaucer next to our bed, and I get a bit more sleep! 

The only small issue now is that JD is still up a long time after bedtime playing in his room.  I watch him on the monitor, and it's hilarious to see him get up, get a book or a toy, play for a bit, and then snuggle up under the blankets and close his eyes, and then the cycle starts again.  

As I write this, I'm seeing versions of this on the monitor:

jumping on the bed

 And now, almost 2 hours after bedtime, he seems to be down for the count.

zzzzzzzzz

So do I need to worry about the playing after bedtime?  Is there anything I can even do about it without staying with him until he falls asleep?  What did you do to transition your toddler to a bed?

PS- We've put the bean bag and pillows back, and he is still choosing the bed  :)

Tuesday Tip #6: Boon Spoon & Squeezy Pouches

I hate the original, orange Boon Spoon.  It's convenient for 5 minutes, but it's annoying to fill and more annoying to clean.


However, we love us some squeezy pouches in this house, and I want to be able to feed O the stage 1 ones easily while we are on the go.  I had seen the Plum Organics Boom Spoon attachment a while ago, but JD was already feeding himself, so I had never tried them.  Today, I gave them a test run with O, and it was much better than I expected.  I really only needed one hand, which meant I could use the other hand to do something like feed myself.    


This is perfect for when I have to pack for big days out because the spoons come in a cute little carrying case, and the pouches don't need to be in a cooler like our homemade food.  


And O was so into the squeezy pears that he didn't even try to grab the spoon or pull the food out of his mouth.  This may be our neatest feeding session to date!  I just wish Plum Organics- or any squeezy pouch maker- made stage 1 veggies.  O is probably ready for the stage 2 mixes, but I'm not ready to acknowledge that he is that big.

I can shoot pics with one hand & feed him with the other!

And a bonus tip:  I recently saw a friend out in a restaurant with her toddler, who was happily sucking on his squeezy.  I asked her where she buys them, because I'm always trying to find a good deal on them (Babies R Us currently has them 10 for $10).  She told me that different Targets sell them for DIFFERENT PRICES!  


The Target by me has them for $1.19.  The Target 20 minutes away has them for .99- regular price!  They are $1.29 & $1.49 on Target's website.  I'm not going to drive across town for 20 cents, but when I'm stocking up for 2 hungry boys, every little bit counts!

Tuesday Tip #5: Baby Powder

I love everything about the beach, except dealing with the sticky, sandy mess when it is time to go. I will do anything to avoid getting loads of sand in the car, especially in the car seats.  It's already messy enough back there!  And I like to go to the beach first thing in the morning and stay until nap time, which means the boys fall asleep in the car, and I transfer them to their cribs. Nobody wants to sleep in a sandy bed. 

Hitting the showers on our way out is an option, but then we're all wet again, and drying off and changing is a process that usually ends in at least one of us covered in sand again.

Last year, I learned a great tip for instantly removing the sand from squirmy babies and toddlers: baby powder.  You simply shake it on when you get to the parking lot and wipe the sand off, no matter how sweaty & sticky from sunscreen you are.  

Bonus: everybody smells powder fresh after :)

Do you have a favorite beach tip?