These Are A Few Of Their Favorite Things (Part 2: Books)

Two weeks ago I made a blog post about a few of the girls' favorite toys. Today I'm going to highlight a few of their favorite books. I'm very thankful that both of our girls love to read. Already [K] is reading beyond her grade level and I'm often impressed at how still [E] will sit to listen to a favorite book, even a long one. There is a wealth of research out there about the benefits of reading to your children from an early age and I truly believe it has made a huge difference for both of our children.

Ok, off my soapbox and onto the books! This is a sampling of the many books that are in regular rotation in our family library.

The links provided are only for ease of researching these books and are not endorsements.
I don't work for any of these companies nor do I make any money by recommending them.

1. Piggy and Elephant series by Mo Willems. Oh Mo, we love you so. I initially came upon the Piggie and Elephant books when I bought one for our Little Buddy because I thought it was funny and his Mom is a champion story reader. It turned out they loved that book so much that now they own every single Piggie and Elephant book published! Whenever we visit them I can always find [K] in his room reading every single one. Our collection is not nearly so huge but a few of our favorites include I Broke My Trunk, I Am Invited To A Party, and Watch Me Throw The Ball. The great thing about these books is that they span many ages. [E] absolutely loves them and I've read them to [K]'s kindergarten class. I think the key to these books (and possibly all of Mo Willems' books) is that they are great to read aloud. And the more you get into character reading them, they funnier they are to your audience. I highly recommend Mo.

2 & 3. Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann / Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. These are two books with minimal words that are great for helping a child wind down when getting ready for bed. Goodnight Gorilla was a first birthday gift for [K] and was read to her many times over the years and is now being loved by [E]. Zookeeper Joe is closing the zoo for the night but the sneaky gorilla has other plans. The pictures are very sweet and since there are very few words in this book, it's a great one for making up your own stories. Goodnight Moon is a classic. We never owned it when [K] was little but our Little Buddy had it and loved it so when [E] came along I bought a copy for her and she reads it almost every day. There is a nice sleep-inducing repetition to it along with well-drawn illustrations that allow the young reader to find and point out small details on each page.

4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. I don't know a person alive today who hasn't read at least one book by Dr. Seuss. We have several in our collection and have been reading them to our girls practically from birth. Books like Hop On Pop and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish are great at teaching early vocabulary. And there are few authors who can match his ability for a great flowing rhyme. When [E] was younger she received small board book copies of Are You My Mother? and Put Me in the Zoo which she loved. Lately she's been on a Cat in the Hat kick and will sit and listen to the whole thing read aloud which always amazes me since it's fairly long for her age. I guess that just goes to show the power of the Seuss!

5. I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry. I stumbled upon this book in a quaint book store in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Because of [A]'s immense love for the beach and the ocean, I'm always on the lookout for a good aquatic tale and this one does not fail to deliver. It follows a giant squid who proudly proclaims to be BIG and then proceeds to compare his size to several other ocean-dwelling creatures until the humorous conclusion. Along with a cute story and a twist ending, your child will learn the names of several aquatic animals and size comparisons. Both of our girls have enjoyed this one.

6. Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty. My Mom originally found this book and told us about it so we could buy it as a gift for my Dad from [K]. (As a quick side note, in case you are unaware, my Dad is an architect.) Growing up I wanted to be an architect with my Dad but as I got older I became intimidated by the amount of math involved in architecture. For a few years now [K] has mentioned she wants to be an architect when she grows up. She loves drawing and building structures with blocks, Legos, and these mini actual bricks my Dad has in their office. So, when my Mom found this book it only seemed natural for it to be something he and [K] share. It's a clever book with many buildings and even furniture design references in its illustrations. It has a nice rhyming flow and has a great message about not giving up on our dreams and the things that make us happy, even when we are young. I hope to instill this message in both our children so that they don't end up missing out on something because they feel intimidated by it.

7. Say Hello to Zorro by Carter Goodrich. This is an easy but fun read for kids of many ages. [E] enjoys it and when I read it to [K]s preschool class, they all got a kick out of it as well. I'm not sure how we ended up finding this book but I think it was on display at a big box bookstore. The illustrations seemed familiar and it's for a good reason. Carter Goodrich has an impressive resume of illustrating and character development for MANY animated movies we've seen. He's released two other Mister Bud / Zorro books and while we don't own them yet, they are also cute and fun to read with the kids.

8. One Sweet Race by Elle D. Risco. From the time we saw Wreck-it Ralph at the theater, [K] was hooked. She loved the movie but more than that, she LOVED the Sugar Rush Racers. While she isn't as obsessed as she was last year (check out this post and this one from her 4th birthday party as evidence), when I asked her which are her favorite books she named this one as a favorite still. This is a story based off of Sugar Rush characters from the movie but not a retelling of the movie itself. The illustrations are really cute and the story is fun as well. I only have one complaint with this book; twice they call a character by the wrong name. I would think the proof readers would have caught that one but apparently not. Other than that, it's a winner in our house!

9. My Little Pony: Mini Pony Collector's Guide by Miranda Skeffington. I purchased this book for [K] at Christmas last year from a warehouse club store and while it isn't a book in the traditional sense that it follows a story, it has garnered a LOT of reading and use. Since [K] has such an extensive collection of mini ponies, she has enjoyed cataloging, marking, and tracking her growing collection against this book. Unfortunately it's already outdated but I'm guessing if this edition was popular enough that they'll release a newer one at some point. [K] loves to display her pony collection in order based on this book and she already claims to "need a new one" since she has marked up the one she has so much already. I think every kid (and adult) should have a collection (mine was teddy bears, [A]s was Hot Wheels) and it's so neat seeing the different ways she plays with her pony collection.

10. Chapter Books. Since [K] is such a good reader we've decided that she's ready for longer chapter books. I already owned Fairies and the Quest for Never Land and Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand by Gail Carson Levine based solely on the illustrated cover by David Christiana. I love fairies and I'm a sucker for beautiful illustrations, but I hadn't read the books yet and I've owned them for close to 7 years. As I've stated before, I'm not one to shun movies or television from my children and in fact, having books based on movies or shows that are so well loved make it very easy for [K] to want to read these books. Aside from the fairy books I already mentioned, this is true of the My Little Pony chapter books by G.M. Berrow and Charlotte's Web by E.B. White which is a movie the girls watch every time we visit Grandpa. (How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss is another super popular Grandpa movie and book with both of our girls. And yes, we watch and read it year-round, not just at Christmas time.) Lastly, the Fairy Blossoms series by Suzanne Williams was one I purchased the first of from a used book sale at our library for a quarter. These are still chapter books but they are shorter than any of the others I've already mentioned and in fact, one night when [K] was waiting for me to come in a read the last few chapters of the book to her for bedtime, she went ahead and finished the book herself.

So there you have it; a whole array of books that are appropriate for many ages and are enjoyable from an adult standard as well because if we have to read them over and over (and over) again, we had better like 'em too!

By the way, this was a REALLY hard blog post to make because there are so many books we love so if you ever want any additional suggestions, let me know. I have a ton ;)  Oh and also, if you have some favorites I haven't mentioned, please add them in the comments. We are always on the look out for new books. I know I want to get [K] a copy of Pipi Longstockings based off of a Facebook comment made by a friend of mine from high school. I've never read it and only know the very minimum of what it's about but I'm excited to read it with her. I'm also excited to break into my box of "vintage" Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary and see if [K] loves them as much as I did growing up.

Until next time,
~J

These Are A Few Of Their Favorite Things (Part 1: Toys)

Hello and happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope you are looking forward to a little extra family time as much as I am. And, before I get too wrapped up in this post, I'd like to take a moment to honor all of the men and women, past and present, who have served this great nation. I am truly humbled and grateful to you and the sacrifices you and your families have made.

Now, on to business!

Kids can be pretty fickle about toys, at least mine can. I'll buy something based on 100's of great reviews and they'll play with it for a few minutes only to be left behind for an oldie but a goodie. Or then there's the flip-side where they pick out something at the store that they "want more than anything else in the entire world" to see it discarded after a day. That feels great...

So I've decided to compile a list of play-things that my girls have consistently come back to in order to help spark ideas for your own kids. But please be forewarned, just because my kids like these definitely does not mean yours will. Unless your kids come over here to play because I swear, there is something about someone else's toys that make them so much more desirable.

The links provided are only for ease of researching these toys and are not endorsements.
I don't work for any of these companies nor do I make any money by recommending them.

 1. Crayola Washable Watercolor Paints and Markers. Both girls LOVE to paint and [K] has really blossomed into quite the little artist. She is constantly coloring pictures, writing and illustrating little book, drawing blue prints to some building and recently, when a toy went missing (one of the ponies from #2 below), she made and hung LOST posters around the house.

2. Hasbro My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. [K] has been a MLP fanatic for quite some time now and unfortunately for me, they keep releasing these mini ponies that come in bags so you can't see which one you'll be getting. Well after getting our first 50 or more, I've learned how to manipulate the pony in the bag and tell with complete accuracy which one it is because I'll be darned if we get a duplicate pony. I guess it takes the surprise element out of it but when we've spent this much money on ponies I'm not paying for one we already own.

3. Gymnic Rody Horse. This was [E]'s Christmas gift from Grandpa and it's really interesting to see how she plays with him. It's made of extremely durable vinyl and you inflate him with air so you can bounce on him. While [E] will use him the way he's intended some of time, she prefers to dress him up by putting rubber bands on his ears or putting the handles of plastic bags over his ears. She also likes to have him sit on a dining chair next to her when she's eating and pretend to feed him. It's quite cute actually. [K] tends to be the one to use him as intended and bounces all over the place on him.

4. Huffy Disney Cinderella Scooter. This was [K]'s Christmas gift from Grandpa. She hasn't actually used it outside yet but she scoots around the house on it quite well. We live in a *very* hilly community so unless we pack the scooter (or a bike for that matter) in the car, there aren't a ton of opportunities for a young, timid rider to practice outside. Anyway, both girls really enjoy playing with it inside. [E] can't quite propel herself just yet so she steers and we push.

5. Battat Play Circle Marketplace Shopping Cart. One time when we were at Target (in the toy section, of course) [E] found this little cart and proceeded to push it around the store the entire time we were there. Naturally we had to buy it for her. I'm so glad we did too because she uses it everyday. The cardboard play food boxes that came with it were stepped on and squished pretty early on but she enjoys using the little plastic bottles as ointment and puts "boo boo juice" on us while playing doctor. (More on that in a minute.)

6. Hasbro Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe Candy Jar Set. I haven't met a kid yet that doesn't like Play-doh. We actually use parts of this set combined with parts from the Sesame Street Cookie Monster Letter Lunch set and the rolling pins from the Melissa & Doug Shape, Model & Mold Play Clay set to make quite a few masterpieces. We also purchased a Play-Doh 24-Pack of Colors but I only take out two at a time and when they become too hard we pitch those and get two more. The kids don't really care about having lots colors at a time because they just end up mixing them all together until it turns gray anyway. This way they have fresh, soft Play-Doh in bright colors for longer.

7. Doctor Sets. Quite some time ago I bought [K] a fabric veterinarian kit from Ikea that contains bandages, a thermometer and syringe, a recovery collar, and a foot cast. (Sorry, it's no longer available so I can't link to it.) She played with it for a bit but it wasn't until [E] came along that it really got any play time. I've since ditched the bag and collar that came with it and added other items instead. For instance, the stethoscope and plastic magnifying glass shown, and a soft facial brush and this has served [E] with tons of imaginative play. She bandages dining chairs and a particular rolling snail toy that is constantly hurting his tail. I just recently added the stethoscope and now she runs around the house checking everyone's heartbeat and breathing multiple times a day. Since she has expressed such interest in it I've decided I'm going to spend a bit more money than the dollar already invested and get her an actual working stethoscope and build both her and [K] better doctor kits. You know I'll post about that when I've completed them. ;)

8. Dress Up. I used to have a small, plastic shoebox size box in our basement playroom filled with bracelets and dollar store beads for the girls. They've always enjoyed wearing multiples of them when we're down there playing but that area didn't really lend itself well to dress up play. Ever since I put a bigger Rubbermaid tub in their bedroom and filled it with all sorts of odds and ends of things to dress up in, we've had some seriously awesome fashion shows around these parts. The funny thing about [E] is that she loves wearing multiples of things. It started with hair rubber bands that she would wear like anklets and slowly she worked her way up to 5 or 6 pairs of [K]'s underwear and lately it's tutus. I'm not sure what started her obsession with them but there are days when she'll be wearing four or five of them at a time along with two pairs of glasses. It's pretty hilarious and awesome. I remember fondly the days of my childhood dressing up in my aunts old dance costumes thinking I was the most beautiful princess in the world and I love that my girls are getting the chance to do this too. I just wish I still had those dance costumes.

9. Minecraft. While this isn't a toy per say it is definitely something that can hold [K]'s attention for long periods of time. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a video game where you can use different materials to build whole worlds for your character to live in. I don't play it so I'm sure I'm definitely over-simplifying it but I'm so impressed with how [K] has been able to pick up this game just by watching [A] play it and now she's like a little expert. I know there are some people out there who shun technology for kids but I've found that if a particular game or TV show has some kind of educational value and that I'm still engaging the kids while their watching or playing that it can be quite beneficial. Case in point, [K] will watch an episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and then spend the next hour or more (with the TV off) creating whole new scenarios for her mini ponies based off of that episode. Or the fact that when [K] has hardly older than [E] is now that she had memorized every state based on shape and knew all of the capitals just by playing a game on my parents phones.

10. Melissa & Doug Craft & Create Face Painting. I can't remember why it was that one day [K] decided she wanted a face painting set for Christmas but I'm so glad I came across this one from Melissa & Doug because we've all enjoyed many, many sessions of face painting fun. The paint washes off easily but stays on well throughout the day. I've had the joy on several occasions of forgetting that my face has amazing kid drawings all over it and then go to the grocery store like that. I tend to get a lot of smiles from that. We actually just bought another one of these because I want a backup for when the paints run out.

So there you have it, 10 toy ideas to help spark the imagination for your own children or those that you buy for. I've compiled a list of books as well so I'll share those in another post. I really had to taper that one down because we LOVE books in this house and that post could easily get out of hand.

Oh, and before I'm late with it, here were our Muffin Tin Tuesday lunches for this week.

This was [K]'s. Cherry yogurt, shredded cheese, grape tomatoes.
Dried cranberries, Sour Patch Kids, applesauce.

Here was [E]'s. Mini dill pickle, Goldfish, sour gummy worms.
Whole raw almonds, shredded cheese, dried cranberries.

Take care and have a great weekend! I can't wait to eat some barbecue food!!!
~ [J]

Losin' it with Lose It!

Hello everyone. I hope you're having a glorious day. The clouds have parted and we've had a few days in a row of above freezing temperatures. Woo hoo!

Today I'd like to review a health app I've been using with pretty great success. My Mom told me about it a while ago and it wasn't until the beginning of the year that I started using it. It's called Lose It! and it's available for Android, iOS, Nook, Kindle, and the Web. With Lose It! you don't have to keep track of points or exclude certain foods from your diet. And here's the best part... Lose It! is totally FREE!

To get started you enter your current weight, height, age, gender, your goal weight, and how many pounds you'd like to lose per week. Lose It! sets a daily calorie budget for you and then you just track your food and exercise. But here's the great part. Tracking your food is so easy with the ability to scan barcodes. Even if you try to eat a lot of whole foods, you can often find a bar code on a box of strawberries or a bag of romaine lettuce. And if it's a single apple, you can look it up in Lose It!'s expansive database. It's so easy! I love easy and that's the only way I've been able to stick with this for six weeks. The app also includes thousands of restaurants, grocery stores, and brand-name foods that are easy to look up. If you can't find a particular restaurant, I've found that most places have their nutritional information online and you're able to add new foods to your log. Lastly, you can duplicate or search from previous meals so if for instance you eat the same thing for breakfast once a week, you can do a look up of previous meals and select the foods you ate again to be added to the new day.

I had always thought of myself as a fairly healthy eater but becoming aware of my caloric intake was pretty eye opening. My goal is to lose 28 pounds at one pound a week. I figured that would be an attainable goal without having to take drastic measures. Because I'm doing this for health reasons, I don't have any time restraint on myself so I don't care if it takes me until the summer to reach my goal. As of today's weigh in, I've lost 13 pounds since starting on January 9th and that's all just from using this app and becoming more aware of how many calories I eat in a day. I can still have my Starbucks or deep dish pizza but then I might have to skip a few snacks during the day. The other thing that I've learned, and this is a big one, is what an actual serving size is. Now I read labels and if the box says that a serving size is one cup, I break out a measuring cup and I make sure I'm only eating one cup. I have to admit, the first few days I was feeling pretty hungry but it really didn't take long before I was feeling satisfied eating the amount I should. I still have a nasty sweet tooth and that's something I have to keep in check, but at least I'm no longer finishing the little nibble here or little nibble there off my kids plates when they don't finish something. Now I either wrap it up for later or when possible, I put it back in the container. It's really just about becoming more aware of what I'm putting in my body.

I weigh myself once a week, on the same day each week, around the same time of the day, and wearing the same amount of clothing. I'm able to input my weight and see a graph of my gains or losses. If I've lost a certain number of pounds (I'm not sure what the exact amount is) Lose It! will automatically adjust my daily calorie budget. So, to sum it up, the app tells you how many calories you should be eating per day in order to lose the amount of weight you've set and you can track the calories you intake by just scanning the foods barcodes, looking up food from their extensive database, finding meals from popular restaurants, or inputting the nutritional values from recipes you create yourself. Speaking of recipes, a cookbook that has really helped me make great tasting food while still keeping track of calories is this one from Good Housekeeping. I also just got this one from a bargain bin and I'm hoping it's as good as the Good Housekeeping one.


Lose It! also allows you to share your weight loss success and give/receive motivation through different social media channels as well as participating in various challenges. I don't use these features so I can't really comment on them.

The last piece of the puzzle is exercise. I have been very fortunate to receive some amazing advice from a dear friend of ours who calls herself The Running Rhino and has managed to lose quite a bit of weight and keep it off. She mentioned that she does boxing/kickboxing with a free-standing heavy bag in her house using video tutorials from YouTube and how that has really made a huge impact in her weight loss success. Taking her advice, I looked into boxing gyms and found one that was fairly close to us, a Title Boxing Club. See, unlike my friend, I *need* to go to a class for that group comradery and accountability. I like loud techno music to motivate me and an instructor who walks around and says, "Keep it up!" Thankfully, before I signed up for a membership, I found a Groupon for a one month trial membership for a discounted rate. After our first class though, we were hooked and signed up for a full membership. The instructors are great, the people in the classes seem really cool, and the classes kick our butts (in a good way). One of the great perks of our membership is that we can go to any Title Boxing Club in the U.S. and anyone in our household is able to come with us (including K - they have a Kids Power Hour). Unfortunately, due to some extreme weather and the fact that there isn't an option for child care, A and I have to go on separate nights after he gets home from work. That being said, I think we've only been to three classes each. That's definitely a spot where we can both improve.

Oh and that reminds me, I can record my exercise in Lose It! too. The app has a ton of different exercises already in the database and all I have to do is pick Boxing and the amount of time I was working and it calculates how many calories I've burned.

This was on Facebook from one of our instructors at Title Boxing

(By the way, I am in no way affiliated with Lose It! or Title Boxing. I have just found this app and gym to be extremely useful in my healthy weight loss goals and I hope it can work for you too.)

Why I think Despicable Me is a great movie

My daughter has been a huge fan of the move, Despicable Me, since the first time she saw it. This summer we were anxiously awaiting its return with Despicable Me 2 and while it definitely had some funny bits and heart warming scenes, it lacked the relationships that I feel make the first movie such a great film.

First off, there aren't too many animated movies that star a single dad as the main character (at least not that many that I know of) and Gru is such an unlikely character to turn into such a great Dad. But throughout the movie we witness the changes he goes through while falling in love with these girls. Plus the movie highlights adoption which is another great talking point and identifier for those families that have adopted children. Also, we see the relationship between Gru and his own mother and how it evolves and becomes more supportive and loving. Despicable Me also tackles two other issues that are great conversation starters; trust and how, even when that trust is broken, we can forgive and learn to trust again, as well as peer pressure and letting others talk us into doing something we don't feel comfortable with but then learning how to follow our hearts to do what we know is right.

Despicable Me is a hilarious movie and the minions are totally awesome. I'll admit though that the first 20 or so times we watched it I really only took it at face value. But as I was thinking about this movie today while driving around with my own kids, I noticed how much deeper it is than I initially thought. So if you haven't seen Despicable Me, I definitely recommend it and if you have, try watching it again with a more focused eye and see if you don't notice how much more this movie has to offer.

The "Other" Baby Essentials: part 2

Did you know that it was World Breastfeeding Week 2013 this past week and August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month? Yeah, me neither. But in light of their whole, "I support you" campaign focusing on supporting all mothers no matter how they feed their children, I figured this was a good time for my next installment of Other Baby Essentials since it's all about items I used to help make breastfeeding easier for me and my child.

1) A nursing pillow - Newborn babies are so tiny and weigh so little, until you spend long nursing sessions holding them in your arms, trying to jockey the baby around into the right position. That's where a good nursing pillow comes in handy. The pillow I heard of and saw most at retail shops is the Boppy. My sister-in-law let me borrow hers when K was a baby and it was never quite right for me. The problem with it for me is that it slipped down too far on my waist to keep K in the right spot for breastfeeding. (*Update: Boppy has updated their nursing pillows and they now come with an adjustable strap and feature a firm side for nursing and a soft side for snuggling. I think this is a huge improvement and I'm glad they worked with lactation consultants to improve their product.) After some research online I came across the My Brest Friend nursing pillow. I love this pillow! It has a highly adjustable strap that wraps around your waist (or ribcage, like I did) and really holds the pillow right where you need it. When E was little I used to carry her around on that thing (holding onto her of course so she wouldn't roll off) when she would fall asleep after nursing. That's how well it stayed in place. The pillow itself is firm enough to keep the baby in the correct position but comfortable enough that she often fell asleep on it. Plus it offers a higher back for better support and a pocket to store smaller items.

It comes in other cuter fabrics but this is the one I have

2) A comfortable nursing bra - Here's the scoop - I can't stand underwire. It always seems to dig in or jab me in the armpit but wire-free bras tend to not offer enough support. Like with most things I buy, I turned to the internet to read reviews on basically every nursing bra that's available. I came up with the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra and let me tell you, it's SO comfortable. The cup comes all of the way down which is good for achieving the correct latch, especially in the beginning when you're just trying to figure that out. The fabric is stretchy enough to allow for growth but supportive enough to be comfortable.

I like it so much I have it in 4 different colors

3) Nursing pajamas - In the beginning, when you're feeling sleep deprived and you're up nursing (again), a convenient nursing pajama top is really nice to have instead of fussing with a baggy t-shirt that just ends up getting in the way for you and your baby. I have a few different tops and nightgowns and no particular brand is really any better than another so long as you find one that fits comfortably and is convenient for you.

4) Somewhere comfortable to sit - I've nursed our baby in pretty much any place you can think of but my favorite place is in the girls darkened bedroom sitting in our hand-me-down rocker / recliner from my Grandma. It's highly padded in all of the right spots and it's super comfortable which is great because we all spend a lot of time in it. I use it mostly for breastfeeding E, A uses it when he's putting her to sleep, and K loves to read books in it. I know a bigger chair like ours may seem overwhelming in a nursery, especially if it's a smaller room to begin with and you have to fit a crib and changing area in there as well, but I'm so glad we have our rocker because it gets a ton of use on a daily basis.

This isn't our exact chair but it's similar

5) Nursing cover-up - In the beginning stages of nursing, particularly in public or when guests were over, I used a cover up. I think a cover up makes nursing in public a lot more comfortable for "the other guy", even more so than it may for the mother. I'm incredibly thankful to say that I've never been subjected to any negativity or criticisms toward my nursing in public. Maybe that's because I do try and maintain a certain level of modesty, but it may also be that nursing in public is becoming more common and accepted. Plus, using a cover up can help your baby nurse better because it blocks out all of the other distractions that might be drawing her attention away from the business at hand (or mouth, as the situation may be). The great thing about the particular cover up I have is that it has a RigiFlex neck which means it stands out away from your body so you can look down and see your baby but it's still flexible enough to fold up. Also, with the way the strap attached around your neck, your little one can pull it off when she gets a little older and wants to see everything that's happening around her. And as a bonus, a nursing cover up acts as a great lightweight blanket if you happen to be out and need one but forgot to pack one in your already full diaper bag.

This is the one I have and I love the pattern

6) Lightweight cardigan - I love these lightweight swing cardigans from Meijer (so much so that I have 3 and am looking to buy at least one more). On our recent plane ride to the Pacific Northwest, I wore one of these and was able to use it as a nursing cover up, a blanket for E, and a great layering piece for myself. A lightweight cardigan is so versatile and can really extend your wardrobe into the cooler months. The great thing about wearing something like this is if your diaper bag really is too crowded you can still nurse in public and be completely covered up by just taking it off and draping it over your shoulder and the baby.

I would like to wrap up this post by echoing the World Breastfeeding Week's theme of "I support you". Before K was born, A and I talked about the fact that I really wanted to breastfeed. Unfortunately, I was unable to breastfeed K and I felt like such a failure as a mother. It was the support from my husband who told me that it was more important for K to be eating and healthy than it was for me to be so hard on myself because things weren't going according to my "plan". Before E was born, I stocked up on formula because I didn't want to find myself in the position (again) of wanting to breastfeed but not being able to and being completely unprepared to offer an alternative option. Call it Murphy's Law but E has been exclusively breastfed from day 1. But even though I used different methods of feeding my babies, they are both healthy, happy, intelligent, wonderful little girls. I support you, moms out there, doing the best you can for your children and for yourselves, and I thank you for your support while I do the best I can.

The "Other" Baby Essentials: part 1

Anyone who has had a baby (or has shopped for a baby) knows that the amount of "stuff" you can buy for your baby can be extremely overwhelming. And many of us have bought or been gifted things that seemed like great ideas but then are never used. There are few things more frustrating than spending hard earned cash on things that add to the already mounting pile of clutter. So that's why I'm going to do a two part blog post about a few items that I felt were truly essential. (I'm calling this the "Other" Essentials because obviously things like a safe place for the baby to sleep, diapers (consider using cloth!), a car seat, perhaps a portable crib are more of the truly essential items.)

1) A diaper bag - When you first start going out with your little one, you're going to want to bring extra diapers, wipes, maybe a bottle and formula (depending on your feeding preferences), a change of clothes, maybe a pacifier... you get my point. And then when they get older, the kind of stuff changes but somehow the amount doesn't seem to get any less. I would highly recommend trying out a few different kinds of diaper bags before settling on the one you like. I got the diaper bag I've used for the past 5 years and through two kids from a second hand store. Honestly, I don't even like the looks of it but over the years I've bought other cuter diaper bags (I kept the tags on them) and did a side by side comparison as to the amount of "stuff" that I can get in and I always come back to my original. We travel to see family and friends on a fairly regular basis so I need to be able to pack a lot of diapers and wipes, snacks, sippy cups, bibs, books, games, sometimes a portable DVD player in mine so my situation may be a bit different than yours. But since you'll be using this bag on a daily basis, it doesn't hurt to purchase a few, fill them up with the stuff you think you'd most likely use, and see how it all fits. Just remember to keep your receipts!

My ugly, second hand diaper bag (by Andy B)

2) Rear facing mirror for the car - When your baby is still young he or she will need to be in a rear-facing car seat and being able to see your baby while driving or riding can be very reassuring. We've had three different mirrors between the two kids and quite frankly, most of them aren't very good - the reflective surface is all wavy like those Fun House mirrors and they aren't very easy to adjust. However, the Diono mirror we got for E is awesome! The reflective surface is amazing (just like a normal mirror) and it's incredibly adjustable. Plus, it seems like you could install it in any kind of car.

Baby mirror in action (and the reflection really is that clear)

3) Winter Bunting - If you have a baby (or a young child) in the winter months like we did, a warm bunting comes in really handy. A bunting is basically a snowsuit for babies but it has a hood, hand covers, and foot covers all attached so you don't have to scramble around trying to find these accessories as your trying to haul your baby, diaper bag, purse, car keys, cell phone... you get the picture We had a pink version of this one and not only was it super warm and soft, but it looked adorable on E.

I love the feet and the ears on the hood

4) Infant car seat cover - This is another item that is extremely helpful for winter babies. I recommend looking for a car seat cover that you install over the carrier with elastic (like a shower cap) because then you don't have any straps underneath your car seat that could potentially get in the way of the car seat locking into the base. And then easy peasy, you just zip this up around your baby and they'll be nice and warm without the extra bulk of a winter coat that could interfere with the seat belts being tight enough. Two things I really like about these covers is that they are water resistant with a fleece lining, and there is a space for their head to poke out but can be zipped closed if needed. It looks like the main difference between the Deluxe version and the Arctic version is the Arctic version has an attached blanket for swaddling around the baby inside the carrier.

Staying warm in style

Let's Review... Travel Strollers

Hello. It's time again for another product review. This time I'll be discussing what I feel are the strengths and weakness of three different lightweight travel strollers we own, focusing on three points: weight capacity, total weight, and maneuverability. Since we'll be using one of these strollers on our up-coming vacation with our older daughter, these three points are the most important to us. As I've mentioned before, I don't get any kick-backs or free products from these companies. My reviews are solely to help other parents out there when deciding which baby products to spend their hard earned money on.

First up is the Babies R Us Lightweight Stroller. This is an umbrella-type stroller with a few upgrades and at $30.00 it's the cheapest of the three travel strollers in this review.

According to the statistics on their website, this strollers weight capacity is 35 lbs and its total weight is 6.5 lbs. Our older daughter, K, is heavier than the suggested 35 pounds however we still use this stroller with her in a pinch. Because she's heavier that their suggestion the maneuverability of this stroller suffers. However at a total weight of only 6.5 pounds, this is the lightest stroller making it easiest to carry around for travel purposes.


Next up is the Jeep Cherokee Lightweight Sport Stroller. The exact model that we have is no longer for sale so this is the link for the new version: Jeep Cherokee Sport Stroller. My review here will be of the model that's no longer available since that's the one we own. At $50.00 this is the middle of the line for price.

According to the statistics on the website, this strollers weight capacity is 40 lbs and its total weight is 11.8 lbs. One of the updates from our model to the current one is that the weight capacity has gone up to 50 pounds. If that had been the case with this stroller it would have been my winner. However, at only a 40 lb top limit this impairs its maneuverability enough to rank it second in my review. At 11.8 pounds this stroller still feels very light to carry which is important when considering travel.


Last up is The First Years Ignite Stroller. Coming in at $57.00 it's the most expensive of the lightweight strollers in this review, however it's the one we decided we'll be taking with on our vacation.

According to the statistics on the website, this strollers weight capacity is 50 lbs and its total weight is 17.5 lbs. While 17.5 pounds doesn't sound like a lot, this stroller seems surprisingly heavy to me given its small footprint which is the one downfall I have found so far. I'm not sure if it's the higher weight capacity or something about the wheels but this stroller is a DREAM to maneuver, even with our older daughter in it.


Speaking of footprint, each of these strollers fold up to a fairly small size with the Babies R Us Lightweight Stroller being the smallest overall. The Jeep Cherokee Lightweight Sport Stroller is the shortest but also a bit wider and The First Years Ignite Stroller is the tallest and a bit wider than the Babies R Us stroller with its larger wheels. This is relevant when deciding which stroller will fit in the back of an already tight trunk stuffed with luggage as well as gate checking it at the airport.

I could have cropped this closer but the baby butt is too cute to cut out.

Each of these strollers have some additional "bonuses" that while they aren't absolutely necessary, they are definitely nice to have.

The Babies R Us Lightweight Stroller has an adjustable canopy which is great for blocking out sun when it's in any position other than straight up. It also comes with a small removable storage pocket for diapers, wipes, toys, a sippy cup, etc. There's an even smaller pocket inside that for keys and a phone.

The Jeep Cherokee Lightweight Sport Stroller has a hard plastic parent console with two cup holders and a small storage space, a removable plastic child tray, a large plastic footrest, a decent sized storage basket underneath that is easy to access, two cargo bags to hold additional items (I don't really get these), and a window in the canopy making it easy to see your child when the canopy is open. The canopy is not adjustable like the Babies R Us version; it's either open or closed. This stroller is very easy to open and close with the one-hand fold design. It also stays upright when folded which is a very nice feature when storing the stroller during its off time.

The First Years Ignite Stroller has a fabric parent console with a drink holder and a small zippered pocket for keys and a phone. Like the Jeep stroller, it has a fixed canopy and a storage basket underneath that is a bit more cumbersome to use due to the frame of the stroller to accommodate the heavier weight capacity. It's also the tallest of the three strollers which is great when you have a tall husband like I do. It's also the only stroller with an adjustable five-point harness. While this isn't as important with our older daughter since I don't plan to buckle her in anyway, it will be very nice when we use it with our younger daughter.

Here you can see how the Babies R Us stroller on the left has an adjustable canopy
(it's pulled down so it's covering the front of the stroller).

As far as fit and comfort go, my daughter says she likes the Jeep stroller best. I don't know if it's really because it's more comfortable or if it's because it's blue (her favorite color). She seems to fit in these two strollers about the same. They have a longer seat which is good for her longer legs, a bit of a higher back which is good since she's tall and they are a bit wider to accommodate an older child. She is really too tall for any of these strollers since her  head extends past the top of the back but I know we are going to be doing a lot of hiking / walking on our vacation and while she can and will do a good part of it, I also know her legs won't last as long as ours and if we want to be able to see all of the sights I have planned, we're going to need a stroller for her. (Thankfully Little Sis is still small enough to carry in our Boba 2G Baby Carrier so we don't have to bring two strollers.)

So, based on the maneuverability, the higher weight capacity, and the taller handles, The First Years Ignite Stroller won out as our travel stroller. I'll do a follow up post about how it worked out "in the field" when we get back from vacation. Honestly though, if I had remembered we had that Jeep stroller in the basement and had not felt how amazing The First Years Ignite stroller maneuvered, I would have saved the money and brought the Jeep stroller; it was a very close second. Like I mentioned before, maybe the higher weight capacity has made the newer Jeep models easier to maneuver and it would win me over.

(P.S. I own two other strollers that I'll review at a later date. And just so you don't think I'm crazy owning so many strollers, the Jeep stroller is my Mom's.)

Let's Review... Baby Carriers

Hello! This is the first of many posts where I will write a review of my experience with something. That "something" may be a product, a movie, or food. I rely heavy on the reviews of others before I purchase something or even sometimes whether I go see a particular movie or to a certain restaurant. Hopefully these reviews will be helpful to you as well and, as always, if you have any questions or need more clarification, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Today I will be reviewing baby carriers. I'm actually going to be doing a comparison of the four different types of carriers that we own and what I see as their strengths and weaknesses. I am including links to each of these products on Amazon in case you are interested in any of these carriers. And for the record, I don't get paid for my reviews or endorsements. I'm just hoping they will be helpful to other moms out there.

A baby carrier is a fantastic item to have for several reasons. Babies love to be held. And most people want to carry a baby. It's a great way to bond with your little one, look them in the eyes, smooch their faces, smell their heads, you get the drift. However, after hours of lugging that sweet little 10, 15, 20 pound baby around, your arms begin to feel like they're going to fall off. Also, there are certain circumstances when a carrier is much more convenient than a stroller. A super crowded museum or aquarium is a great example on when it's a whole lot easier to just maneuver your body around the masses of people than it is a stroller. Plus you never have to worry about losing your baby in a crowd since they are attached to you. It's also great for when your baby is still itty bitty and the sweet, well-intentioned people in the grocery store want to touch your baby and you don't want them putting their hands or faces in your babies face for fear of germs, most people won't do that when you have your baby right up against your chest in a carrier.


First up is the Baby Bjorn Classic. We received this as a hand-me-down from a coworker before K was born so ours is a bit different than the one pictured and in the link. For all intents and purposes though, it works the exact  same. The Bjorn works nicely for young, lightweight babies. It's convenient for travel purposes since it's soft and can be rolled up and stuffed into a diaper bag. It's easy to get your child in and out of and it's nice that you can wear your baby facing toward you when they are very tiny and facing out when they are a bit older. (You cannot wear the child on your back though.) However, when your child gets a bit older / heavier, here is where it fails. I found that carrying a heavier baby in the Bjorn for an extended period of time was very uncomfortable on my back. Also, this carrier is not very ergonomic for your child as there is a great deal of pressure placed on their private bits since the area between their legs is very narrow and all of their weight is resting right on that spot. This is especially significant as your child gets heavier.

The second carrier we used was the Chicco Smart Support Backpack. This carrier is only worn on the back and has an aluminum frame to give it structure. We used this backpack primarily for hiking since it has a sunshade and a more rugged design overall. It comes with a zip-off rain shield, a zippered phone / key pouch, and a little bit bigger pouch for a diaper and a few wipes, etc. that clips on the back (you need someone else to access it or you have to take the carrier off to get into the pouch.) The part that rests against your back is well padded making it pretty comfortable to wear but after a few hours of hiking, it did start to make my shoulders and neck ache. Also, it's not convenient for travel with its rigid frame. I found it to be a nuisance having it take up a bunch of room in our trunk when there are so many other things that I need to have back there, like the double stroller and three cases of wine. Just kidding about that last part - I don't have a double stroller ;)  While it is easy to get your kiddo into and out of this carrier, it isn't the easiest to get it on your back by yourself. I found the best way to do it was to load the kid in it while it's either sitting on a table or on the tailgate of our van and then shimmy it on my back while trying to keep it balanced and then pulling in the kickstand once I had it secure. If the hubs was with me he could hold it up while I slipped the straps on but again, neither method is super easy or, I felt, that safe.

The picture on the left shows it with the kickstand out for easy loading/unloading.
The picture on the right shows it with the kickstand pulled in for walking/hiking, etc.

Next up is the OneStepAhead Zip-N-Go Hip Carrier. This carrier is the ultimate in convenient travel. The whole thing zips up into its own small pouch that you can then throw into your diaper bag or even a purse. And, when you have the carrier on you can then use the pouch to keep your essentials in (keys, phone, diaper.) Plus, it's kind of neat because it carries the baby on your hip instead of your front or back which is a natural place for most people to carry a baby. Unlike the Baby Bjorn that can have your baby facing toward you or away, this carrier only allows the baby to face you. There is a large movable padded section on the shoulder/neck strap that also covers the clip that holds it on. It's easy to get your baby in and out of it on your own and it's quick and easy to put on. This is a good carrier for a baby that is old enough to hold her head up but not so old that she will be flinging herself out of it backwards. This last point is even more important with the model I have since it looks like they have made the back higher than the one I have. I find this carrier to be good for shorter trips like going to the grocery store and your kid wants to be held instead of in the cart but your arms are tired and you still need to be able to get to the food. I was using it for longer, several hour events and I was finding it to really hurt my neck and shoulder and even lower back after that long.

Our fourth, and last, carrier is the Boba 2G Baby Carrier. I *LOVE* this carrier! It can be worn with your baby facing you on your front or your back, it's adjustable for me or the hubs to wear, it's super convenient because it's soft and can be rolled up and stashed in our diaper bag, and most importantly, it's comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Like the last two carriers above, this one is designed for your child's weight to be evenly distributed to their bottom and thighs instead of their sensitive areas making it much for comfortable (and safer) for them as well. It also comes with a sun cover that does triple duty - first as a way to keep the sun off of their heads while out hiking. Second, as nodding head-catch for when your kiddo falls asleep and their head starts bobbing backward. And third, as a cover up for nursing. I've had E on my front and have been able to loosen the straps enough that I can actually nurse her in the carrier and use the sun cover to give us some privacy. I chose to purchase the organic version because inevitably E was going to chew or suck on the straps. Plus, I got a better deal on it since it's a 2G model and they already have a 3G model out with some nice upgrades but nothing that seemed like I couldn't live without to save a few bucks. The only downside to this carrier that I have found so far is that when E was younger I had a REALLY hard time getting her on my back by myself. I'm guessing that now that she's a little older and more able to hang onto me that we can try it again and it will be easier but it was definitely a two person job the few times I tried it. They have YouTube videos online demonstrating how to get your child onto your back so maybe I'll have to try watching those again before we attempt it.

The picture on the left is the front carry (that's the model & color I own.)
The picture on the right is the back carry (that's the 3G model.)

I hope this has been informative / educational / helpful in determining what type of carrier to get for you and your child. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I'm a firm believer in using a baby carrier which is why I'm on our fourth one. Oh, and if it isn't obvious, none of the women, children or man in any of these pictures are us. Just in case you were wondering :)