Kickstarter Campaigns We Support!
I’m a huge supporter of Kickstarter – it’s truly awe-inspiring how people can come up with such innovative products and ideas. Kickstarter is really an amazing community where dreams come to life and you get to be a part of that. I found myself on Kickstarter after Handsocks was awarded a grant in Jan 2016 by The First Years. We were one of 10 parent entrepreneurs and made some lovely friends through the other winners. A favorite that comes to mind is The Doll Kind – huggable dolls with tokens that you give out as...
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Tips to Potty Train Your Toddler
Being potty trained is a huge milestone for your toddler and instills a great sense of accomplishment and independence. There isn’t any one age when your child will master potty training – it differs for every child. However, there are steps you can take to help your child prepare and ease into potty training. It certainly isn’t easy, but these tips can help everyone feel less frustrated and when your child is ready, it will happen naturally. Here are some tips you can follow to prepare your toddler for potty training: Get a training potty...
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7 Stocking Stuffer Gifts for Baby
The holiday season is upon us, which means there will be heavy doses of family time! Part of the fun that everyone enjoys also includes the gifts and presents. With each year that goes by, you may find that it gets tougher to find gifts for the ones you love, and especially for children who can’t even ask for anything yet. To offer some help, here are some great stocking stuffers for your little one: Pacifier A classic gift that will barely take up any space at all in the stocking! Your little one may...
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Tips to Prevent Infant Face-Scratching
Not even hours old, our baby boy scratched his face (and before we could snap a pic and upload to Facebook)! With babies, scratching is going to be inevitable as they move their hands around, whether they’re asleep or awake. Don't worry too much, as face scratching is usually never painful for baby, but to help prevent your precious one from marking up his or her face these tips will help: Pack a nail file in your labor bag. Newborns have thin nails but they are still sharp enough to leave a scratch. If your...
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Dealing with Baby Eczema: Tips To Soothe Baby
It can be heartbreaking when your baby suffers from eczema or another skin condition; as parents, we will do anything to help soothe them. Eczema usually appears as a skin rash on areas like baby’s scalp and face. The cause of eczema is unknown but it can be outgrown and there are different ways to treat it. Here are some tips to help soothe baby's skin: Put on protective clothing. We want to prevent baby from scratching the affected areas which can make the condition worse. If your baby has eczema on the hands, put on...
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How to dress your baby warmly for the winter
In those cold winter months, it takes a little more effort to get your baby dressed for the day. You have to make sure that baby stays warm, especially if he will be outside for a period of time. But you also want to make sure that baby doesn’t overheat. It can be tricky to find the right balance and you definitely don’t want to overdo it on the layers. Try out some of these tips the next time you’re getting baby dressed up for a cold day. Add a layer Some parents like to...
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Easy Meal Time: 2 fast finger foods
When my little one started feeding herself, she had a hard time picking up slippery foods. She loved bananas but unfortunately most of the "nan-nas" ended up smooshed all over her jammies and highchair tray, slippery little suckers. Cheerios to the rescue! I pondered, she can pick up Cheerios no problem? Cheerios...bananas...Cheerios...bana.. I got it! Cheerio-bananas Step 1: Put Cheerios in a plastic baggy and use the bottom of a glass to smash into crumbs. Step 2: Poor into a bowl and add bite-sized banana pieces. Step 3: Roll the bites around to coat in Cheerio crumbs and bada bing...
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City Living: Closet Babies
City living! "Location, location, location" often means sacrificing space. A few teal accents and man-chair replacement turned a bachelor's San Francisco industrial loft into a cozy space for two. It sometimes felt like a game of Tetris organizing our apartment, making use of every nook and cranny. When we learned our duo was soon to be a party-of-3, we started getting creative i.e. I started nesting. Where to put a baby?... Well, we had closet. It was a unique space, just wide enough to move around in with a little nook off to one side. We removed all the...
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Eczema: 7 Mom-tested remedies
Eczema is a skin condition caused by inflammation affecting an estimated 1 in 10 children. There are many different types of eczema, the most common being atopic dermatitis. Doctors don't know exactly what causes eczema but continued research is beginning to link it to diet, genetics, environment and activities. More importantly, it is treatable, preventable and not contagious. Telltale signs your little one might have eczema: Dry spots Rough or scaly patches Itching Redness Blisters Cracking of the skin Where: Most commonly found on hands, neck, face and legs, but it can occur anywhere on the body. Check those creases under...
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The F-Word
We have a rule in our home, no F-word. No, not the 4-letter word... Lent, a time of repentance, fasting and reflection; or a second shot at that New Year's resolution. I pondered: Is there anything I'd be willing to give up for 6 weeks? Reaching for a snack above the refrigerator, the thought crossed my mind, "ugh, you're so fat". How rude! In that moment I knew what I needed to give up and it wasn't the salt water taffy; I'm giving up the F-word: F-A-T In the beginning I would accidentally let it slip out and...
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PPD Triggers: Coming back to reality
I didn't know there were "triggers" with Postpartum Depression until I saw a video online that sent me into a sudden emotional downward spiral. I later read, "trigger warning" in the comments on the post. In the beginning, I found abstinence from tragic postpartum stories and articles was helpful. Sometimes I couldn't help myself. Perhaps it was curiosity or some deep down desire to feel bad; or to put it very bluntly, my brain trying to kill me. I even took a break from the news and social media; I felt too sensitive and impressionable. It's at...
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Baby Proofing: The good, the bad and the ugly
When to baby proof? For me it was when my 11 month old turned into a monkey–contortionist–escape artist–high speed crawler (over night). Want to know what you need to baby proof? Just follow your little one around the house and take notes. So to Amazon I went. Here’s what I bought, what worked and kind-of worked: Outlet and Cord Safety– Twin Door Outlet Cover. Prepare yourself for the BEST baby-proofing thing on the market! It just can’t get any easier. Unscrew the faceplate of your current outlet cover, replace it with this, then close...