If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: Book Review and Giveaway

June 30, 2009 – 4:30 pm

ifyourkideatsthisbook

Thanks to Hachette Book Group, last week I had the chance to check out a great book “If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Ok: How To Know if Your Child’s Injury or Illness Is Really an Emergency by Dr. Lara Zibners, MD“

At first I was a little worried because to be honest with you I haven’t read a full book in over a year. *gasp* I know, that seems horrible, right? Well when you have a 14 month old that hasn’t sat still in almost 5 months it’s not hard to understand. Thankfully I absolutely love reading non-fiction, especially anything that’s informative and I can apply to everyday life.  Dr. Zibners book, even though almost 300 pages was laid out so well that I was able to digest it in just a few afternoons. A little here, a little there.  I have to admit that if I had the time to read it front to back in one day I would have.

In her book, Dr. Zibners gives you a run-down of just about anything that could happen to your infant, baby or toddler that would make you consider bringing them into the ER.  She tells you from the very beginning that  “This book is not about the basics of child care such as bathing, diapering, and feeding. Instead, this book is a regurgitation, if you will, of all the midnight conversations I’ve had with stressed and anxious parents.” and adds that of the 25 million kids that are taken to the ER each year “more than 50 percent of these visits may be unnecessary.” At first I thought maybe that claim may be stretching it a little, until I got into the book and remembered just how intimidating it can be for a new mom (or any mom for that matter) when you first bring your new little one home.

You will find categories such as: Read More »

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Potty Training Boys

June 22, 2009 – 11:42 pm

So, I’m sure most of us have heard that potty training boys is harder than it is girls. Well I’ve decided to challenge that old wives tale (or is it?).  Why should it be harder or take longer? And why should it take up until 3 yrs of age to do it?  About 2 months ago (at 12 months) when changing my sons diapers I started to say “pee pee diaper. We throw it in the garbage.” and he would follow me and watch. When he had a poopy I would show him that it goes in the diaper pail.  Not long after that he caught on and he decided he would throw away his own diapers.  Of course I applauded him, called him a big boy and made a big deal out of it because I wanted to encourage his behavior.

Soo… here we are at 14 months and Read More »

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Wordless Wednesday: Chocolate Pudding

June 17, 2009 – 10:57 pm

Puddingface

 

 

Puddingface-Smiling

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Baby Milestones: Mastering Blocks/Shape Sorters

May 14, 2009 – 11:46 pm

I almost forgot to put this up. I always take vids and then never put them on my blog for some reason.

Anyway!!! Vincent learned a new trick a few weeks ago. Pretty good for 12 months right?  Oh and at the end of the vid he is upset because he immediately wants the blocks out of the box so he can do it again. He’s a bit obsessive lol.

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Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets Review

May 10, 2009 – 7:58 am

purex-3-in-1-package

Last week I received a package informing me that I had been selected as 1 out of 200 across the country  to be a Purex Insider. When I first opened the package I couldn’t believe the smell. Let me tell you, it was awesome. But the biggest surprise of all was what was inside.

Purex has come up with something so new and innovative that as they will tell you, it’s going to change the way you do laundry.  I knew that this was going to be something no one had ever seen before but I was completely taken by surprise.

Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets consist of a load’s worth of super-concentrated detergent, softener and anti-static all in one product. What it is, is basically a dryer sheet filled with pre-measured detergent . You drop this in with your clothes on the wash cycle and the detergent is released. Once it’s finished you simply transfer the sheet with your clothes to the dryer where a strip of softener and anti-static is released by the heat.  When you pull your clothes from the dryer the sheet that remains looks exactly like any regular laundry sheet.

purex-3-in-1-equation

This new way of doing laundry that Purex has developed is something that I think you are going to be hard-pressed to find  fault with. At least I was (and believe me I was looking).  After using it myself with extremely satisfying results I came to many conclusions about what this all means.

  • No more bottles taking up space in your house AND in landfills (because we all know that the people who don’t recycle are still the majority, unfortunately).
  • No spills.
  • No more measuring or teaching your spouse how to conserve detergent or softener by using the correct amount.
  • No waiting for the rinse cycle so you can add softener.
  • No forgetting to put sheets in your dryer and then having to re-dry them when you do, causing excess wear.
  • Less money spent. I was actually buying all 3 of these things separately and had a tendency to over-use the softener, which you might know is really really expensive!
  • Best of all, less time doing laundry and more uninterrupted time to spend with my son.

Speaking of satisfying results I had the pleasure of trying the Pure and Clean fragrance. The first thing I washed in it were my sheets. The laundry sheet actually lathered up better than my regular detergent.  I didn’t expect that the fresh scent would still be there by the time I got done drying them but it was. They smelled great (my baby even agreed as he tried smelling them and went mmmm lol) and I can tell you that for the next few days my whole room actually smelled. It wasn’t over-powering either.

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Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets are available in three unique fragrances:  Spring Oasis, Tropical Escape, and Pure & Clean and you can find them at grocery, and drug retailers nationwide. The suggested retail pricing for both the 20 sheet Starter Kit (includes convenient Dispenser) and 24 sheet Refill Pack is $5.99-$7.49. So tell everyone you know to stop wasting time and money and pick up one of these kits.  You can print out a coupon HERE

Purex also has a sweepstakes going on right now. You can win $1000 or a years supply of Purex Complete 3-in-1. Winners are drawn weekly so if you’re feeling lucky head on over there: Purex Sweepstakes

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Wordless Wednesday: Summer is on it’s way

May 6, 2009 – 10:56 pm
Stony Creek Metro Park - Michigan

Stony Creek Metro Park - Michigan

Taken by Moi, 2006.

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Baby Milestones: 12 months

May 5, 2009 – 5:23 pm

Time has gone by so fast! On April 2nd we celebrated Vincent’s 1st birthday.

Just today I got to see my neighbors new baby (he’s 3 weeks old) and it was amazing to think that at this time last year my son was just about the same size.  Wow, where has the time gone? In the beginning things moved so slow and I never could have imagined that by 1 year my son would be doing all the things he is. I must say that the baby human is a pretty incredible thing.

Since most of the time during the week it is just my son and I, we’ve had plenty of time to learn how to train one another.  Oh yes, you better believe it, he does have me trained.  He’s still not sleeping all night long and is taking at least 1 4oz bottle at around 1am every morning.  His body is definitely on a schedule and it is my goal to figure out how to break that schedule and get him back to sleeping all night.  He hasn’t done that since 3 months old! Unfortunately it’s not working.  He decided that he was going to try to cut out his afternoon nap and consequently my free time. Not cool.  As much as I love spending time with him I do need to do things like take a shower, wash dishes, do laundry etc. Read More »

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BabyGanics Product Review

April 28, 2009 – 11:40 pm

Babyganics

I recently received a BabyGanics Healthy Home Essentials Kit which included:

* The Grime Fighter™ All Purpose Cleaner
* The Dish Dazzler™ Foaming Dish and Bottle Soap
* Breathin’ Easy™ Air Freshener
* The Germinator Foaming Hand Sanitizer On-the-Go™

BabyGanics products were founded by two dads who just happen to be self professed clean freaks. They’ve made their products safe for use around babies and people in general. They are not tested on animals, and as well as being simplistic yet stylish their packaging is also recyclable. Of course as the mom of a 1 yr old and being obsessed with recycling these products are right up my alley.  All of the products I tested out were fragrance free with the exception of the air freshener.

The Grime Fighter - All Purpose Cleaner

BabyGanics Grime Fighter - All Purpose Cleaner

This was the first thing I was eager to try out. I noticed right away there was absolutely no scent. Even though all these years I’ve been complaining about the awful smells I’ve had to endure while cleaning I almost sort of missed the fact that there wasn’t one. But as with my last review of green cleaning products I have to say that what has happened is that I’ve basically been brainwashed to believe that if it smells strong, it works. Obviously that is not always true. Thankfully the All purpose cleaner did work. It passed every test I put it through, even the stove-top. This cleaner would most certainly be a life-saver for anyone who is super sensitive to smells or has small children who like to touch everything. Although it’s not anti-bacterial it would be perfect for every day use or in-between really thorough cleanings. It’s also the perfect thing to clean your child’s high-chair with!

Breathin’ Easy Air Freshener

BabyGanics Breathin' Easy Air Freshener (Lavendar)

I have to admit that I was a little confused when I first tried to figure out how to work the bottle but after I did I was amazed. It’s really cool and simple to use. There are no propellants so you have to pump the bottle before you spray it. It made me wonder why all air fresheners don’t come like that. The smell was great even though I’m extremely picky about scents. This one was not overwhelming at all. I also think the simple fact that the stuff is not flying through the air at warp speed helped me grow fond of it pretty quickly. I’m sure you know what I mean.. when you spray your air freshener and if you’re not careful you end up inhaling half of it? Ugh. That won’t happen with this bottle. I’ve been using it for my son’s diaper pail for the most part but it’s definitely an air freshener I don’t mind spraying around the whole house.

The Germinator - Foaming Hand Sanitizer On-the-Go

BabyGanics - Germinator Foaming Hand Sanitizer (Fragrance Free)

Before I brought my son home one of the first things I did was go and buy a bunch of miniature bottles of hand sanitizer. One in every scent. I left one at my mom’s, one in the diaper bag, one in the car and one in our house. I directed anyone who would be touching my son to use it. Especially those people who smoke! Unfortunately after a few months I realized that some people were not doing as instructed because of the seriously strong smell of some of the sanitizers. That and the fact that if you over-use them your hands get really really dry.

This particular sanitizer isn’t anything like that. It kills 99.9% of germs according to the bottle, including E. Coli in just 15 seconds. It is foaming, so a little bit goes a very long way. Fragrance and alcohol free so no overwhelming scents and no dry hands. The only problem I have with it is the fact that the smell of smoke will stay on your hands even after using it… and if you’re anything like me you don’t even want the scent anywhere around your baby. However, you must know that when you use a scented hand sanitizer you’re just masking the smell, so I think the best bet is to always have those that smoke wash their hands and if you want to be extra careful they can then use the sanitizer. This sanitizer is also so gentle it’s something that I know in the near future I won’t mind letting my son use.

The Dish Dazzler - Foaming Dish and Bottle Soap

This was by far my favorite thing about the essentials package. I can’t tell you enough how great this dish soap works. The fact that its foaming means you really have to use very very little. It’s absolutely perfect for baby bottles. There is no using the sprayer to make it lather or shaking the bottle up or anything like that. You simply squirt a tiny bit onto your bottle washer and it makes it through the whole cleaning process. There was no residue left on the bottles or sippy cups and they came out sparkling clean. It’s perfect for when you need to just wash a few items and don’t want to waste tons of water.

This is something I plan on having in my house as long as I have children. Since just a little goes a long way it’s a far more economical choice than regular dish soap, but most importantly the fact that it’s non-toxic and fragrance free makes me feel better about using it on my babies dishes. Think about it… does the babies bottle (which they’ll be putting in their mouth) really need to smell like grapefruit, oranges or anything else?

I encourage you (especially new moms) to head over to the BabyGanics site and check out all the products they have to offer.  The essentials kit itself is a great buy at only $19.99

BabyGanics Home Essentials Kit

Provided for review by Southard Communications on behalf of BabyGanics.

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Priorities

April 27, 2009 – 11:56 pm

Aaah.. it’s been so long since I have updated my blog!  Sometimes I feel like I’m just being lazy about it but then I think about all the things I have going on and I realize that for once in my life I think I have my priorities straight.  I mean I could sit here on my blog updating it 20 times a day like I see a lot of moms doing but the reality is that I just don’t have that kind of time.  It’s not that I work or go to the gym or even hang out w/ friends or family.  Oh no.. thats not it.. I’m usually here at home surviving on 4 or 5 hours sleep, running around like a madman.

Ever since Vincent learned how to walk 3.5 months ago he hasn’t sat still. From the time he wakes up in the morning until he is forced to go to bed he is running around.  When I go to use the bathroom he’s right there with me getting into the cupboards pulling out all my pads and tampons and throwing them around the house, along with the shampoo and the wash cloths.  I calmly go behind him and pick it all up and put it away until my next bathroom trip. Thankfully if I turn the light off in the bathroom he stays out of there… but when he’s not in there he’s pulling all his clean clothes out of his dresser and mixing them together w/ the dirty or he’s standing on the rocking chair next to the desk so that he can get at the mouse and click it.  When that’s not enough he is eagerly trying to climb onto the actual desk.

In between all this activity I’m usually trying to figure out what to feed him.  He recently stopped formula and is totally on milk now and that means I have to be careful that he is getting everything he needs vitamin wise from his food. I haven’t quite got it down yet but I’m getting to it. On top of all of this there are bills to be paid and carpet to be vacuumed (thanks to my seriously hairy dog) multiple times per day. Read More »

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A Letter To My Son On His First Birthday

April 2, 2009 – 10:58 pm

Dear Vincent,

For 9 long months it was just you and I.  I held my belly each night wondering who was inside there, what you looked like  and how I would feel when I finally got to meet you.  Would I be a good mother? Would we love each other instantly?  Then 1 year ago today my life changed forever.  After a pain that only a mother can know you arrived into this world at 10lbs.  Already such a big boy.    It was a hard road but you made your way out healthy and strong. You hadn’t wanted to come out yet but it was time.  The Dr. laid you on my belly and I just stared at you.  The whole process of birth was so amazing I was still in shock that I had produced a human life. You grew inside of me, you were part of your father and I and I had waited so long for this moment to meet you.  I was scared at first but that feeling quickly went away when I looked into your eyes and realized that we had been blessed with an amazing gift.  A gift I would never take for granted and a gift that I would love every day of my life like it was the last.

When we brought you home I didn’t want to be away from you for even a moment.  You were such a good baby, rarely getting upset. I couldn’t believe it.  We put you to bed each night in your bassinette right next to our bed so that we could be with you always.  Eventually the time came for you to move to your own room and I have to admit that for many many months I did not sleep, even though you did.  I would lay awake at night in your room listening to you breath. Feeling your heartbeat and waiting for the time you would wake so that I could see you again and get to know you even better.  And each day when that time arrived you and I would both wake with a smile on our face.  I would look into your eyes each morning with the realization that I seemed to have known you all my life and I can’t explain that feeling to anyone but it is one that has filled me with more hope and love than I have ever known.

I have watched you grow so fast. I couldn’t wait until the day I heard you call me mama. You did that and so much more over this past year. I still remember the night that you and I were up all alone and you gave me kisses and tried to tell me you loved me. After you fell asleep I cried with joy all night long. The love you filled my heart with and continue to fill my heart with each day is something that can never be spoiled and cannot compare to any other love on this earth.

Each day you are here I cherish you more and more and I want you to know Dear boy that you have changed my life forever.  I will always try to be the best person I can be for you. I will always protect you and I will always love you more than anything in this world.

Your father and I came from different lands on opposite ends of the earth in a chance meeting that in the end has created you and I can’t tell you how much more I believe in fate now.  You were meant to be little boy and you are very very special to us both.  Happy Birthday sweet one and I hope each day of the next year will be just as wonderful as this first year has been for us all.

I love you with all of my heart,

Mama

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