It’s hardly Christmas, but next winter, my sister’s co-worker will be having her first baby. She has just started checking out all the baby gear she’ll want to register for, and it got us to talking about all those things she’ll need in the first few months. When my girls were born, I was fortunate enough to have a bassinet handed down from my sister. It was simply outfitted in a white eyelet bedding and a basic mattress. Today’s bassinets are not only more functional, but they aim to offer a better night’s sleep for both baby and mom. Kolcraft’s Preferred Position 2-in-1 Bassinet & Incline Sleeper is specially designed for the colicky newborn who benefits from a boosted sleeping position. This bassinet features a [&hellip
Monthly Archive:: August 2011
It was right there as I rounded the corner, practically impossible to miss. As I pushed my shopping cart past the sunscreen display, spiral notebooks, ballpoint pens and pocket folders competed for my attention. That’s right: back-to-school shopping is nearly upon us and before long, school districts will be updating their Web sites with a laundry list of classroom essentials. But in this information age in which we are thinking twice before making any kid-related purchases, selecting which items to stock our kids’ desks is no longer a no-brainer. You’d have to be living under a rock not to know about toxic substances like PVC lurking in plastics, especially in kids’ products. To make your job as a conscientious consumer a little easier comes a [&hellip
For most parents (and grandparents), the name Spock is best known as a respectable pediatrician who’s a trusted resource on everything from pacifiers to potty-training. In our home, Spock is only synonymous with one thing, and that’s Star Trek. If ever I thought never the twain shall meet, I was pleasantly mistaken. For Trekkies new and old comes a brand new picture book that goes where no baby has gone before. . I let my husband, a self-proclaimed fan of the show (who doesn’t consider himself a Trekkie, mind you), take a peek at Star Trek Book of Opposites. After thumbing through the pages after a long day at the office, he smiled knowingly at the pairing of opposite photos taken straight from the classic TV [&hellip
Sometimes the best-laid plans just don’t work out. It’s the 2nd to last week of camp, and my 7-year-old has only had swimming lessons about half of the time. Granted the camp is town-run and I didn’t shell out the big bucks for a private program, but I have to admit I’m more than a little disappointed that she hasn’t had much of an opportunity to learn how to swim. Did I mention the camp happens to be held at a beach? When the tide is low, lessons are off because it’s too shallow to swim. I can understand taking that precaution, but why not flip-flop the afternoon’s free swim session with a.m. lessons on those days? This week when the tide’s been right, a [&hellip
As a work-from-home mom, I sometimes miss the workplace environment: the camaraderie with my office mates, the feeling of accomplishment after a productive day and yes, even the day-old doughnuts (sigh…). After all, the incessant chatting of two little girls can’t outdo the IT guy who could talk a blue streak while fixing my PC . Whenever I need a little slice of the adult world, I tune into one of my favorite sitcoms, “The Office.” I can’t decide which character I enjoy the most–the ingenious Jim or the persistent Dwight or any of the others in between. And since I just learned that Jenna Fischer’s real-life pregnancy will be incorporated into the character of Pam, I’m as pleased as punch…and it’s not just because [&hellip
My mom is heading to California today to visit my brother. Before she left, we were talking about just how many families she’ll be seeing on her flight to family-friendly San Diego. (Hopefully, no one will be kicking the back of her seat for next five hours…) As anyone traveling with young kids can tell you, schlepping through an airport is no picnic. And if you’ve got a baby in tow, anything that helps make your trip a bit more bearable is worth its weight in gold. The QuickSmart Backpack Stroller is the answer to the over-packed parents’ prayers. It’s a lightweight (less than 9 lbs.) stroller that comes pre-assembled (finally, one less thing to put together!) and folds up in four relatively quick steps. [&hellip
Sometimes, date night just has too much pressure surrounding it. Or is it that the cost of the entire evening is too much for me to swallow? This past weekend, we were nearly 30 minutes late for our dinner reservation because we couldn’t find parking. It was a beautiful summer night in a seaside town that was hopping with people. Mistake #1. When we finally find a spot on a side street, we walked another 5 or so minutes, got a lovely table indoors…only to have lackluster service–and that’s putting it mildly. By the time, we got our meals it was nearly 10 pm. Mistake #2. We couldn’t figure out why the kitchen couldn’t keep up with the orders as the restaurant was half-empty. While [&hellip
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