10 Things...

MAM Oral Care Party

2012-04-30T07:59:00.002-04:00

If you're not familiar with Child's Play Party, you should check them out here. I just had the privilege of hosting a great MAM oral care party at my home! The kids had a great time playing, the adults won fun prizes for playing games that came with the party pack (the prizes came with the pack, too!) and everyone got to take home a variety of MAM oral care products to try for themselves. Plus, coupons!

The products are great! Have you tried them? If you'd like to, leave a comment below saying you'd like a coupon for $1 off any MAM product!

Check out the goodies from the party pack:

New Book by Money Saving Mom

2011-12-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

I am excited to share with you a review about a new book by Money Saving Mom's own Crystal Paine! The book is called The Money Saving Mom's Budget and is chock full of tons of ideas for not only saving money but ways to simply organize your life.

For many people, "couponing" and budgeting is overwhelming. Crystal is great at explaining how to incorporate it into your life in simple steps. She seems genuinely excited to share the steps she took herself to learn these techniques and she has incorporated budgeting, goals and life lessons into an easy-to-read book that makes it simple for you to follow a plan for saving money.

Personally, I have followed Crystal's blog for a couple years now and I have found her to be a tremendous source of inspiration. I have learned a ton from Crystal and have impressed myself by the amount of money I can save grocery shopping, buying gifts and stocking up on essentials. Crystal's book is much more than that and I'm excited to start using her goal-setting steps to streamline my life and budget even further. It's refreshing to know that as the author, Crystal has practiced everything she teaches in the book and I look forward to implementing more of her ideas myself!

Check out the book for yourself and stay tuned for a possible giveaway!

New Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent

2011-12-11T21:34:00.000-05:00

I recently received the new Purex Triple Action Free & Clear laundry detergent to try for myself. It's a great product with no perfumes or dyes (who needs dyes in their laundry detergent anyway?) and is made for all washers, including my HE washer. The product cleaned well, left no scent behind (those who like scents can purchase one of five scents, including "Natural Elements" scents) and removed most stains.

One bottle lasts for 33 washes! Prove it to yourself by picking up a bottle at your local store or winning one from my site! More information to come on this giveaway...

An Online Place for Moms

2011-09-27T21:29:00.002-04:00

Here's a fun place I just discovered:

My latest Shutterfly project

2011-06-27T22:23:00.000-04:00

A little aside...I'm having a blast making photo projects on Shutterfly! One of my biggest tips is to use Shutterfly, or another photo website, to create baby albums, collages, photo gifts and mementos. Also, they are a great way to store your photos online in case your computer ever crashes! You can get GREAT deals with their coupon codes, too!

Here is my latest...a canvas photo collage of my sister and her husband from their wedding in April (yes, that really is my sister!).

Blank Project Desktop Plaque

Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Deb and Adam canvas

2011-06-27T22:18:00.001-04:00

Blank Project Desktop Plaque

Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Ten Things We Ran to the Store for the First Week

2010-08-09T22:18:00.001-04:00

Don’t make the same mistakes we did....consider purchasing these items before you have the baby. Some you may already have, some you may not know you needed and some you may just not have enough of! Read on to find out what we items we thought were so essential I now include them in all my baby shower gifts:

1. Diapers.
Not exactly rocket science here. Everyone knows you need diapers when you have a baby but what shocks every new mom and dad is exactly how many diapers you need. I have to admit that I did not believe people when they said they used 10-12 diapers a day. I mean really, how much can a little newborn pee and poop? Well, not only did our little newborn pee and poop at least once an hour, she also would not tolerate a wet diaper. So, yes, we went through between 10 and 12 diapers a day for quite a while. Think about how many diapers this means....a “jumbo” pack of diapers hold about 40 newborn diapers so that will last you oh, about three days! Stock up before the baby gets here....you can’t go wrong with this one.

2. Skull Caps.
Not a pretty name but a pretty useful item. You may also know them as simply infant caps. These are the stretchy cotton hats that fit snugly on a baby’s head. Our baby was born in the cooler weather so the doctor advised us to leave a hat on her head at all times. The place we all lose the most heat is through our heads so when you have a little baby, you must keep that head warm. The hospital will usually give you one or two of these little numbers but you’ll be amazed at how many you need. You’ll want a clean one on their head each day and night and you’ll also want to coordinate with all those adorable little outfits! (We can’t have baby’s hat not matching his blanket sleeper, now can we?)

3. Newborn Booties.
Those tiny little feet just don’t seem to fit in anything else. Newborn booties and socks are the best! They stay snug in place and keep the little toes warm. Perfect for any baby under about 9 pounds.

4. Newborn Clothes and Sleepers.
I had a shower (2, actually) before my baby was born and I did receive lots of adorable clothes and sleepers for my baby, not to mention all the wonderful gifts that were sent after she arrived. However, rarely did I have an outfit that she could fit in for the first four weeks. Now, you may have a baby bigger than mine but if you have a baby who is less than 9 pounds, you will need some newborn clothes. Not the 0-3 month kind.....those are meant to fit babies generally between 9 and 11 pounds. You will actually want to have a few things that fit comfortably....especially when they are sleeping when you do not want sleepers to be big (a problem, particularly with cotton sleepers, when you want them to be flame resistant). Yes, you can go out and purchase the newborn size after you know how big your baby is but also keep in mind that sometimes it is not an easy size to find.

5.Disposable changing pads.
Problem: Where to change the baby when you’re not near the changing table? Solution: Anywhere- with disposable changing pads! Actually, these don’t even have to be the disposable type, any type will do. These were immensely helpful when we wanted to do a quick diaper change on the bed or the couch and didn’t want to risk leakage or the sudden need of the baby to relieve herself once the diaper was off!

6. More Binkis.
We discovered that the two packs were just not enough because they WILL disappear. How a newborn who barely moves can lose so many pacifiers is beyond me but we went through them like water. Mind you, we were also the parents who said we weren’t going to use a pacifier. What changed our minds (from day one)? The fact that babies have an instinctual need to suck and the pacifier (or “Binki”, as we fondly refer to it) calms a baby almost instantly. It’s as close as you can get to magic.

7. Nasal Aspirators.
Another item that we never knew we needed. Okay, we knew we needed it but we didn’t know we needed so many. I highly recommend you have about four on hand. We kept one by the crib, one by the bassinet in our room, one downstairs and one in the diaper bag. You may think the nasal aspirator is just for clearing the baby’s nose but you can actually use these handy little things when the baby has too much phlegm in the mouth and let me tell you that there’s nothing like the panic you will feel when your baby wakes up gagging on phlegm! Keep these handy during feeding and sleeping....we used ours regularly.

8. Long-Sleeved Snap Shirts.
Or short-sleeved but the key here are the snaps. When baby comes home from the hospital, she still has a piece of umbilical cord attached to the naval, waiting to dry up and fall off. In the meantime, you want to be careful of this area and a great way to do that is to not have a one-piece bodysuit or undershirt that rubs against that area. Another beautiful bonus of the side-snap shirt is the ability to put it on without pulling it over your newborn’s head. It may look easy to dress a newborn but it most certainly wasn’t for us and the fewer items you have to pull over her head (which seems to be much bigger than the shirt openings), the better!

9. Washcloths.
Lots and lots of washcloths....that’s what we go through everyday because washcloths aren’t just for washing! Washcloths became our “go to” item for drying off the baby’s butt during diapering, washing the baby’s face after eating and just about everything in-between. Lots and lots of washcloths.

10. Receiving Blankets.
It was suggested by our childbirth educator that we purchase a dozen receiving blankets. We did but what we never discussed was which type. You will quickly learn, as we did, that most babies LOVE to be swaddled. Receiving blankets are the standard for swaddling but not just any type of blanket will do. We found that thin, cotton blankets worked the best for securely wrapping the little bundle up. During the cold nights, we even doubled up on the blankets and sometimes topped her off with a fleece one (knowing she was tightly wrapped underneath). Those Northeast nights can get cold- and a loose blanket is a no-no. So, if you don’t want to do the laundry on a daily basis, stock up on those great cotton receiving blankets for nap time, nighttime, car seats, strollers and tummy time!

10 Things You Need for Baby

2009-07-02T20:27:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how baby gear can accumulate in your home once a baby arrives. We all know that baby care is much easier with some basic items such as a crib, clothes, bath items and perhaps bottles, but there are some other items that I never knew I would come to rely on so much. I'm not proposing we clutter up your home more with ten additional items but listed below are ten items I found to be essential for both the care and entertainment of my little one. Read on....

1)Swing
Not just one that goes back and forth but a side-to-side swing. This was a lifesaver for us! Dozens of naps took place in that swing. Note that not every baby loves a swing and mine did not love the traditional back and forth swing but side-to-side was the trick! We even accomplished an incredible five afternoon hour nap in that swing one day! (*Another note: swings are pricey and only needed until they are about 7 months old so if you’re not opposed to secondhand, Craig’s List is a great place to purchase one!)

2) Grobag Baby Sleep Bag
In the Northeast, it’s just too cold at night for a baby who isn’t swaddled but cannot yet use blankets. Even blanket sleepers are not enough when it’s below 70 degrees in the house at night. Other sleepsacks are great in the fall or early spring but nothing beats a 2.5 tog Grobag for the colder nights. Bundle the baby up in a blanket sleeper (long-sleeved t-shirt underneath if the temperature in the room is between 65 and 70) and then put on the Grobag. They are exceptionally long but that makes it easier and more comfortable for the baby to move around. Sized by their actual age.

3) A bouncy seat
Fisher Price makes a great one (the Rainforest model), which vibrates, plays music and has little animals that move…and you can pick and choose which feature you use. We also love our Baby Bjorn bouncy seat. There are no electronic features but it has been great for many other reasons- portability, sleeping, great bounciness and also can be used much longer.

4) Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe
We have used the swaddling technique for napping WAY longer than other parents because it works so well for us and the SwaddleMe is great for quickly and easily swaddling. It only comes in small and large, which is a bit annoying. Don’t buy the jersey knit kind- babies like to be swaddled firmly/tightly and the jersey knit is stretchy and won’t allow this. We use the organic cotton one but bamboo or cotton are also great choices.

5) “Mini” diaper bags
Okay, I really think you can never have enough bags (diaper or other!) but I do legitimately think mini diaper bags are super handy. I love my Fleurville Escape Pod. I keep our regular size diaper bag fully stocked in the car (another great tip rather than packing and bringing it each time because you will always forget something- or even the bag!) and I also keep a mini one ready to go with just diapers, wipes, a changing pad and a “pat dry” (a.k.a. a washcloth for drying the bum after using the wipes). The mini bag is great for when you don’t want to lug a large bag around and know the only thing you may need from it are diaper changing supplies. I also keep a second mini bag stocked with everything a baby needs when dining out- including a portable high chair ( a “My Little Seat”) because you never know when you’ll be spontaneous again!

6) Toddler (or adult)-sized hooded towels
Believe it or not, the bigger the towel for a baby the better! Two or three infant hooded towels are great but as soon as the baby hits about 10 pounds, they just aren’t big enough to fully cover up a wet baby you are trying to keep warm. I received a handmade adult-sized hooded towel at my shower and even though we all got quite a chuckle out of trying it on, it has been the best item ever for bath time!

7) A Pack N Play with a changing table attachment
We have two Pack N Plays (one upstairs and one downstairs) and use both all the time. We kept the one with the changing table attachment downstairs so that we would not need to run upstairs to the baby’s room every time she needed a diaper change. It has been so helpful! If I had known that before, we would have made sure we registered for one with that feature for upstairs, too. Also, the bassinet feature was a lifesaver for us when the baby outgrew the actual bassinet but we weren’t ready to move her out of our room and into her crib yet. (The canopy top feature is completely unnecessary unless you plan to bring the Pack N Play outside and need to shield the baby from the sun. Even then, when the baby is young enough to actually hang out in there under the canopy, you probably won’t have him/her outside in the heat anyway.)

8) Winter crib sheets
We tried flannel but they are like our flannel sheets- okay but generally a bit rough, stiff and even a little cold. I discovered the best kind to use for the winter- Carter’s Easy Fit Velour Sheets. They are warm and super soft and the baby sleeps so much better on them. I want them for my bed!

9) A good quality baby carrier
We have two excellent soft structured carriers- a Beco and an Angelpack. There is a ton of research about the benefits of “wearing” your baby and we love it! Beware of the “crotch dangler” carriers you see sold everywhere from anything from $15 to $100+…..Baby Bjorn is a big no-no in the baby carrying world. Babies should sit in the carrier with their legs/hips open and not have their legs dangling straight down when in a carrier (bad for hip development, etc.). They also should not face forward when in a front carrier….too over stimulating for a baby. Check out www.TheBabyWearer.com for all the information about baby carriers. I also have a Slingling sling, a Moby wrap and a Zolowear ring sling….so many great ones to choose from but I bought them all online for the best prices and selection.

10) Safety items for sleeping
a breathable bumper, a movement monitor (for under the mattress….detects the movement of the baby breathing and sets off an alarm if they stop), a video monitor (we love the Sharx brand….has 3 channels, which limits the possibility of outsiders picking up your channel). The monitors may seem unnecessary for some but I have to say that the peace of mind it brought us helped us sleep at night.

Oops…the list will have 11 items because I have one more thing I love…

11) Footmuff
Another great product if you live in the Northeast and like to take walks with your baby. The footmuff looks and acts a lot like a sleeping bag but sits inside the stroller and has holes for the seatbelt to go through. Pop the baby inside and he/she stays nice and toasty on a cool day! Yes, blankets keep a baby warm, too, but try keeping one on a baby during an outing; I spent more time stopping and repositioning it to cover the leg that popped out or the hand that was exposed to the cold. The footmuff is the warmest and easiest way to go!