Little Baby Steps Blog

A Tear Jerker for Friday!

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Fri, 5 Aug 2011 10:04:00 -0400

Parenting Apps

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:52:00 -0400

There's an app for just about everything- especially for parents! We've decided to list out a few of our faves for you to enjoy (in no particular order):

1. Sit or Squat

For those of you potty training, this is a great app to have on hand! Now with the push of a button you'll know where the closest washroom is and not only that- which one is the cleanest for your little muffin's bottom! Free for download on iTunes.ca- also compatible with BB and SMS Texting.

2. Potty Chart

Are you tracking your toddler's performance with paper charts? This app takes that to a whole new level with interactive charts and even a faucet that makes the noise of running water- encouraging your toddler to pee! I'm going to try this one on Sienna and I'll keep you posted on my progress. Available for download on iTunes.ca for $3.

3. Total Baby

I used this app when I was nursing Sienna and it was amazing! It helped me keep track of all her poops/pees as well as the feedings. It was very easy to use (even with one hand) and gave me something to do when I was rocking her to sleep in my lap.

4. BabyBrain

Similar to Total Baby there's also 'BabyBrain'. Since new moms have a lot to handle and keeping track of poops and pees, as well as feedings can get challenging. Especially when you have to recall the info at your next doctor's appt. Make sure to download this app and let it do all the work for you. Available for download on iTunes for $3.

5. Mom Maps

This is another awesome app that helps you find kid activities in and around your area! How awesome is this? So instead of being cooped up at home- get outside and treat your kid to some fun activities close by! It's also free for download on iTunes.

6. OurKids

Ever said to yourself- oh I wish I wrote that milestone down? When did Sienna do that again? Don't miss another first word, first time on the slide etc.. again. OurKids lets you document the date of a milestone as well as take a picture of it for memory. Neat concept- try it out for $3.99 on iTunes.

7. Baby Travel

Thinking of Traveling with the Wee one? Use this nifty little app to help you generate your packing list! It asks you a series of questions which then determine what you need to pack for your baby/toddler as well as the suggested quantity of each item. So don't stress- download this free app and give it a try!

If you have any other suggestions or comments about the apps above- please let us know by leaving a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

A New Bedtime Story

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:03:00 -0400

Here's a video we came across and debated on sharing as it's only intended to be heard/viewed by those with a sense of humor! We hope you enjoy and if you did or don't- please leave us a message so we can get your thoughts....

Episode 21: Biting

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Tue, 3 May 2011 21:35:00 -0400

Episode 21 is now online! The topic: Biting.... Yes, our little ladies bite (well some of them do). Jenny, Erin and I share our stories, our frustrations and the interesting tactics we used to try and eliminate the behaviour. We'd love to hear your words of wisdom! Feel free to leave us a comment below :)

Baby Time Show

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:31:00 -0400

The Baby Time Show will be held April 15-17th @ the International Centre in Toronto. It's a great place to go with your little one, as there are a lot of free samples to enjoy and also great deals to be had. Even though it's quite busy inside, make sure you bring your stroller as it's a great way to carry not just your baby- but also the huge bag you'll get to hold all your samples/shopping. Enjoy the show!

Children's Pillage in the Village

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:16:00 -0400

It's that time of year again when you can get kids stuff for dirt cheap at Children's Pillage in the Village. If you live in the Toronto area- make sure to come down to Bloor West Village on April 9th to take advantage of the savings! Find out more at: www.childrenspillage.com

Mother's Day Contest!

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:41:00 -0400

Mother’s Day Contest!

In honour of Mother’s Day, the team at Little Baby Steps is pleased to offer you the chance to WIN a Dimples Solitaire Charm!

Dimples Solitaire Charm
Capture a moment, enjoy it forever.
With Dimples' innovative kit, you can capture a loved one's touch in a fine silver charm, so you can carry your loved one with you wherever you go.

- Kit includes an impression tray for you to capture a fingerprint in
- Postage paid, the impression returns to Dimples where it is transformed into a fine silver charm and is shipped to its owner
- Charm includes an inscription of your choice engraved on the back

Enter today as the contest closes April 8th, 2011.

Daycare- to do or not to do....

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:16:00 -0500

We're back.....

It's been a while, but we're finally back with Episode 17- all about Daycare. Make sure you download the episode off iTunes and feel free to leave us a review while you're there. We're also making our list of future topics- so if you have a suggestion feel free to email us or post it on facebook.

Take care!

Family Day

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:13:00 -0500

Those of us in Ontario are celebrating Family Day today- February 21st. If you're wondering what you can do with your little one, check out the toronto.com site: http://www.toronto.com/events for a listing of events across the city. Enjoy your day everyone!

Samko-Miko Toy Sale

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Tue, 9 Nov 2010 21:59:00 -0500

The Samko Miko Toy Sale is on now till December 24th across various locations in Canada. You'll find great deals on toys, books, baby furniture etc... It's definitely worth a visit!

Check out their site for locations/hours: www.samkosales.com

Baby Time Show

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Tue, 9 Nov 2010 21:51:00 -0500

The Baby Time Show is back and this time it's being held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from November 12th- 14th! We went last spring and got some great deals on car seats, toys, gifts etc... The girls also enjoyed all the free samples they got- so much so that we used our strollers to carry the large sample bags instead of the babies :)

Check out their website now: www.babytimeshows.ca for more details.

Get $10 off your "dimples" order for Christmas

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Wed, 3 Nov 2010 13:24:00 -0400

Use discount code LBS17 at the checkout to receive $10 off your order at www.dimplesforever.com

To guarantee delivery of finished Dimples items before the holidays we recommend that online orders be placed by November 15. Fingerprint impressions should be received at Dimples by December 1st. Additional shipping fees can be added to have the kit and/or finished piece shipped by UPS. Otherwise Dimples kits make excellent Christmas gifts and then the impressions can be taken on Christmas Day!

Happy Halloween!

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 12:58:00 -0400

Happy Halloween Everyone! We took the girls to Kaleidoscope Photography today to get their pictures taken for Halloween. If you're in the area- take the kids in today between 10-7pm for a free 5X7 photo. Here's the one of the girls:

Be safe!

Mama Bargains: One great deal at a time

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:18:00 -0400

Do you love a great deal? Well duh, of course you do. So check out Mama Bargains http://www.mamabargains.com/ and get hooked!!!

"Here's how it works: WE OFFER MORE THAN ONE DEAL A DAY! We just do it one deal at a time. We don't list items at a certain time of the day, it's very random, mysterious and completely unplanned what products we will feature and when they will feature. You need to keep checking back throughout the day to find new deals, once one is gone, you will see another new deal immediately after! Most days you will see anywhere between 2-10 deals during the entire 24 hour period of time, so it pays to keep checking back. You snooze, you lose - you don't want to miss out on something, so be sure to refresh your browser, or follow us on twitter or facebook, you will see updates on these pages whenever a new item pops up, and remember, this will happen more than one time every day! "

Happy Shopping Mama's!

Children's Trunk Show

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:54:00 -0400

The Children's Trunk Show assembles the most fresh, fun and quality-conscious products under one roof -- taking the legwork out of shopping for you discerning parents, indulgent grandmas, and savvy gift-givers. Their emphasis is on apparel, art, and accessories for kids, but you’ll also find housewares,treats for mom, and lots of other family fare. With onsite daycare and a hostof grown-up indulgences, it’s more than a sale—it’s an event! So bring your kids, meet friends, and make a day of it.

Visit www.childrenstrunkshow.com foran up-to-date schedule of events, including our special guest speakers and details of the Evergreen Brick Works Saturday Farmer's Market.

Friday, October 01st, 2010

09:30 AM - 04:00 PM

Cost:

$10 at the door, a portion goes to SickKids Foundation

Location:

Evergreen Brick Works

550 Bayview Ave

Toronto, M4V3X8

Fischer-Price Recall

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:59:00 -0400

Huge Fischer-Price Recall- check out their site (http://www.fisher-price.com/us/default.aspx) to find out about all products that are being recalled (includes bikes, high-chairs, toys etc...). If you get onto the site- click the 'recall' hyperlink on the top right hand side. Good luck!

Baby Sign Language

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:44:00 -0400

A friend told me to download this App called 'Baby Sign ASL' from the iTunes store. It all about Baby Sign language and how it can assist you communicate with your wee one. I'm going to try it out and I'll post a review in a few weeks or so, once I've had time to test it out. If you already have it downloaded, feel free to leave a comment here on our blog for other readers to review.

The App retails for $4.99, but I hear it's worth it. It was also one of the top rated Apps on the iTunes store. If you'd like to download a copy- follow the iTunes review link here:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/baby-sign-asl/id301156981?mt=8

Enjoy and let us know what you think :)

Children's Toy & Clothing Sale

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:07:00 -0400

Children's Pillage in the Village is coming up once again on October 3rd in Bloor West Village, Toronto. Check out their site or the image below for details. Last Spring, Erin, Karen and I went and found some useful stuff for the girls. It's all gently used baby items ranging from clothes to toys to books. Be warned though that once you get in the doors (and usually there's a line up first) you need to run in and grab what you want- so plan your shopping list first! The moms are nuts and things get taken right away. There is lay away on site, but it's only for a short period. You also can't bring in shopping bags, they suggest a basket, but last time we saw lots of people w/bags who still got in. If you pay cash exiting is much faster- but they do accept credit card.

Have fun shopping and we might see you in line!

Halloween Costumes for the Kids!

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:14:00 -0400

The Mom Posse found this great website with lots of fun costume ideas for the kids that we had to share with you! Check out: www.buycostumes.com for all of your costume and party supplies.

We haven't all decided what our girls are going to dress up as this year but stay tuned for more details as the day gets closer!

We're now on Stitcher!

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Thu, 2 Sep 2010 21:12:00 -0400

The Little Baby Steps podcast is now available on Stitcher! If you haven't heard of this site yet, you should definitely check it out. It allows you to stream podcasts directly to your computer or through your mobile device! You can listen any time, anywhere. No wires, no synching. It works on your iPhone, your Palm, Android phones and even your BB. Once you're there, please make sure to leave us a comment :) Enjoy the show(s)!

$10 off your Dimples Forever jewellery order!

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Wed, 1 Sep 2010 08:31:00 -0400

Little Baby Steps is pleased to bring you a coupon for $10 off your custom jewelry order from Dimples Forever. Simply use the discount code LBS17 when you check-out.

Dimples Forever specializes in Fingerprint jewelry. Fingerprint jewelry allows you to take an impression of a loved one, newborn infant to mature adult! That fingerprint jewelry, a moment in time permanently preserved in a pure silver charm, can be worn and enjoyed each day.

Feel free to share this discount with your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours or people you pass on the street!

Breastfeeding Week

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Thu, 5 Aug 2010 09:33:00 -0400

This week (August 1st - 7th) is World Breastfeeding Week. Udder Cover would like to show their support for breastfeeding so they are running a promotion that allows you to get any of their nursing covers (regular price $32) free! The code is "Breastfeeding". If you're not currently nursing, this is your chance to stock up on great baby shower and Holiday gifts and a great promo code to pass along to your expecting friends - (they will thank you)!

Once you get to www.uddercovers.com, click on "Shop Now" and select the cover you would like. Type Breastfeeding into the promo code box and it will bring your product total to $0. All you pay is the shipping fees. You can use the code more than once you just have to open a new browser window to do so.

You can also use this promo code to get a 3 piece gift set for only $5!

Only 2 days left, take advantage of this amazing offer :)

Introducing Solids

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:52:00 -0400

It's a very exciting time when you start to introduce your baby to solid foods. A whole new world opens up to them and the dynamic of meal times around your house is about to change. This episode is packed with information that we simply can't capture here so be sure to listen to our podcast and we hope that you pick up something new or interesting.

If you have any comments or experiences to share, please provide your feedback - we would love to hear from you. In this episode we talk about:

foods to introduce
organic vs. non-organic food
introducing solids while maintaining breast milk/formula
ways to prepare homemade baby baby
freezing/storing baby food
snacks
feeding your baby on the go

Most books and resources now say that you can introduce your baby to solids from age 4-6 months however your baby will give you signs that they are (or aren't) ready. If your baby is pushing the spoon out of their mouth with their tongue and it appears that they don't know what to do, it may be a bit early for them. However, this is a new experience for your little one so a little bit of confusion and awkwardness will ensue.

While introducing solids, there are many signs to watch for - namely allergies and digestive issues. Most physicians recommend that you introduce food one at a time, and offer it to your baby for 3 consecutive days. If there are no signs of allergic or digestive issues, you can add this to your 'safe' list and introduce a new food. To offer some variety, I would offer a new food while still offering the 'safe' food because if there were any issues, it was likely caused by the new food. Also, if your baby is refusing a certain food - leave it, and come back to it later. They say that you need to introduce a food approx. 10 times before you can determine that your baby doesn't like it.

Here you can see that Sienna wasn't so sure about kiwi the first time she had it, but after re-introducing it again at a later time, she now loves it!

Most people, including the 5 of us started our babies with infant cereal. The easiest cereal and most common that people will start with is rice cereal. As Jenny learned, this gave Taylor some serious constipation and was only relieved with the use of an infant suppository that they picked up at the drug store under the guidance of the pharmacist. Sienna also had constipation issues when introducing rice and Selin then introduced prunes which helped alleviate any issues for Sienna. Ashley however, didn't have any issues with the rice cereal. I was forewarned however that rice cereal may have caused some constipation while oat cereal may have made her stools loose. These are normal reactions to new food and therefore, introducing solids can be a bit of a juggling act.

We all chose to make our own baby food and found that it was easy, cost effective and gave us the confidence that we knew exactly what was in the food we served. In this episode we talked about how we prepared baby food - bake, roast, steam - puree and serve (or freeze if you've made ample food to keep you going for a few days). Even though we chose to make our own food, there is nothing wrong with buying jarred baby food; and there are some foods that we do offer from the jar - because they are more convenient for travel and/or it's a finicky type of food that we just didn't have any desire to make at home (ie: prunes).

In this episode, we also talked a bit about organic vs. non organic food for your baby. This is a personal decision that everyone should explore for themselves. Buy local and in-season where you can as this will greatly benefit your baby's taste bud development and will help them appreciate texture.

Top 12 Foods to Buy Organic: http://organic.wonderhowto.com/blog/top-12-foods-buy-organic-0115802/

Our Mommy-sentials for this week:

Happy Baby- "The organic guide to baby's first 24 months" by Dr. Robert W. Sears and Amy Marlow. The link to it is: http://www.happybabyfood.com/our-products/our-book

Wholesome baby food - http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

Phil & Ted's portable highchair - this nifty little gadget attaches to any chair and acts as a high chair on the go.

Baby Cubes - easy to use, BPA free plastic cubes to store and freeze your baby food.

Svan High Chair - this is an exceptional high chair that grows with your child. http://www.svanusa.com/svanchair.cfm

Kiddopotomus Tiny Diner: Easily suctions to any table - great for restaurants or taking on the go to protect your baby from germs. http://www.kiddopotamus.com/p_tiny.php

The Safe Sippy: A wonderful light-weight, stainless steel sippy cup to help transition your baby from bottle to cup. We LOVE the safe sippy. http://www.kid-basix.com/thesafesippy.php

Dimples Forever Discount for friends of "Little Baby Steps"

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Wed, 7 Jul 2010 16:21:00 -0400

As our girls have now (or will soon) celebrate their first birthdays and thus marking the anniversary of Little Baby Steps, we want to share an exclusive discount with all of our friends and supporters. We have teamed up with Dimples Forever - a unique jewellery designer that imprints a fingerprint onto a lovely pendant, cuff links, bracelet charms etc. Fans of Little Baby Steps are invited to a $10 discount when you quote LBS17 during check-out. (and yes, you can share this discount code with all of your friends too!!)

Dimples fingerprint jewelry kits enable you to easily capture the fingerprint impression of a loved one, newborn infant to mature adult, wherever and whenever you want to! That fingerprint, a moment in time permanently preserved in a pure silver fingerprint jewelry charm, can be worn and enjoyed each day. Check out www.dimplesforever.com to learn more and start shopping!

Cheers,
LBS

Raising a bilingual baby

littlebabysteps@gmail.com (The Mommy Posse) — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:44:00 -0400

Hello, Bonjour, G'day, Hola, Guten Tag and Buon Giorno!

In this episode of Little Baby Steps we sat down with Isabel Tremblay again to chat about her experiences in raising a bilingual baby. When you listen to the podcast, you can hear Isabel's French roots so it's no surprise that she's speaking French to Estelle.

Selin is speaking Turkish with her baby Sienna and Rita speaks Greek with Aria, however they primarily speak English while introducing a little bit of a second language.

Isabel's mother tongue is French and learned English when she was 17, so instinctively she speaks exclusively in French with Estelle. This can be difficult when they are around non-French speaking people because not everyone will understand what Isabel is saying to Estelle, however it's very important for Estelle's development to identify one person with one language. Isabel's husband speaks Italian and English however he speaks only in English to Estelle. Isabel teaches Estelle through reading, demonstration and speaking to her in French. She has done a lot of research in the area of language development and brain wiring and expects that Estelle may speak a little bit later than her peers to give her brain time to catch up to both languages.

Estelle attends an English daycare (as it's hard enough to get into a daycare, let alone a French daycare!) but will attend an exclusively French school when the time comes.

For anyone trying to raise a bilingual child, Isabel recommends that one parent associated with one language and the other parent associated with the other language. This helps the child identify one parent to one language and to be consistent.

If you are raising your child to speak in multiple languages, please share your feedback and tips with us! For more resources, check your local book store to find books on French language skills and be sure to listen to Isabel's interview here:

PS. be sure to listen until the very end as Taylor has something very important to share with everyone!

In this episode, our Mommy-Sentials focus on reading. Here are a few of our favorite books that we're reading to our little one's right now:

The very hungry caterpillar
I love you forever (it's a real tear jerker!)
Dogs (touch & feel book)
Wiped by Rebecca Eckler - she talks about "the first year" in a very open and honest way