As one of my favorite PSA ads professes, it’s too bad babies don’t come with an instructional manual. Do you remember what it was like to leave the hospital with your bundle of joy, only to arrive home and realize you didn’t have the slightest clue what you were doing? (I’ve been a mom for nearly seven years, and some days, I still feel that way!) To make newborn care a little less daunting comes a new book that aims to take the guesswork out of much of the day-to-day crying/burping/feeding/sleeping that has become your routine. Written by occupational therapist Megan Faure, The Babysense Secret focuses on picking up on your baby’s cues by reading her body language. Does that cry mean she’s too warm [&hellip
Feeding the Little Walnuts Archive
Have you ever been on the go with your baby and not known where you can nurse (or pump) in private? No need to wonder. Medela has come out with an app for the iPhone/iPad that gives you the 411 on nursing. Aptly dubbed iBreastfeed, this app has a Breastfeeding-Friendly Places feature that locates Medela-reviewed and approved nursing nooks across the country. Find one that hasn’t been mentioned? You can add your own 2 cents and comment on your experience at existing locations. On top of this feature, iBreastfeed has a resource guide that includes helpful tips for overcoming breastfeeding challenges and an activity log if you’re so inclined to track your baby’s sleep and feeding schedules. With so much info at your fingertips, you [&hellip
Once upon a time, there lived a little girl who loved her vegetables. Be it broccoli or string beans, she devoured every green-leafed morsel on her plate. She met each carrot with a zest for eating, every tomato with an appreciation for fresh produce that no 2-year-old had ever been known to cultivate. Until, that is, the day she entered a new phase: the “I don’t like thaaatttt!” stage of development parents of toddlers have come to know, yet not love. How frustrated became her mom. “What happened to that little girl who loved to crunch and munch all things healthy?,” she wondered. She began to fret, since this child was not one for a big appetite as it was. Lucky for both of them [&hellip
If I had a dime for every crushed Cheerio I’ve managed to rescue from our family room floor, I’d be well on my way to paying my kids’ college tuition. OK, well maybe just one of their textbooks, but seriously, I’m amazed at how far those crunchy finger foods can travel. They manage to make their way around our home: out of the kitchen, up a flight of stairs and into our carpeting. The same goes for the Goldfish that have found a new home in our car’s backseat. Wouldn’t it be great if food didn’t end up flying and instead stayed exactly where it was meant to be (if it can’t make it into my daughter’s tummy, then at least her bowl)? The mom [&hellip
Back before I wrote for a living, I took a summer job at my hometown’s city hall (does that make it my “homecity?”). Anyway, I remember well a very hot day when a rather stylish young mother was nursing her baby in the place where city officials gathered for public meetings. I was admittedly a bit taken aback, being a fresh college grad and wondering why this woman didn’t seem to care if everyday people coming to pay their taxes could just stare at her. It certainly didn’t help matters that her child was fussing and drawing even more attention to them. I distinctly remember the look on her face that wasn’t just flushed because the A/C wasn’t working properly. I can’t help thinking how [&hellip
When your toddler’s drinking cup has more eye appeal than your stemless wine glass, you know you’ve officially become a hip mom. For years, my eyes have glazed over at the endless sea of character sippy cups that have graced our dinner table. From playful creatures to frolicking animals (why does that cat look so happy, anyway?), whatever could get my daughter to drink her milk worked for me. But when it was time to ditch the handled version for a plan cup, all bets were off. (Are you feeling my pain?) Well, if you’ve got a toddler who doesn’t relish change, you know you may have a battle on your hands. But what could be more enticing than a big kid cup that looks [&hellip
I’ll admit it: I’m a Ziploc fanatic. Ever since I misplaced my older daughter’s snack cup many moons ago, my 2-year-old has been “forced” to eat her snacks out of baggies. I am forever buying these babies and use them for everything from packing lunches, to disposing of used wipes and tissues. So when The First Years came out with a line of Ziploc sippy cups and straw cups for toddlers, I knew they had me at hello. While my little one can drink without any assistance, she has a penchant for dropping her cups in the backseat, on the kitchen floor…you name it. What a sigh of relief that these cups can stand up to the rough and tumble of a 2-year-old, due in [&hellip
These days, I’ll do nearly anything–short of standing on my head–to have my 2-year-old sit for a meal for more than 15 minutes. Sometimes, I think that it’s the plate and cutlery itself, rather than the food, that keeps her in her seat. (Hey, it was a smiley-faced fork and spoon that did it for my 6-year-old.) The eye-catching kids’ dinner plates in the French Bull everyday tray collection are as cute as they are practical. The divided sections each feature a motif specific to the general theme: an elephant spraying himself in the Animals one and colorful kids playing with toys in Playtime. If your child takes a liking to these plates, you’ll want to take them with you–and you can, thanks to a [&hellip
When my 2-year-old joins her first independent play group later this week, she’ll have her first experience drinking out of a paper cup at snacktime. That means no sippy, no straw and no top. Maybe I’ve fallen behind in my parenting by not having moved her up to “the next developmental stage,” but she seems happy with her covered drink, so if it ain’t broke… That’s why we decided to give the BabyBjorn Cup a try. It’s essentially a pint-sized tumbler encased in a plastic bottom. What really stands out is the ergonomic design that lets my daughter’s little fingers grasp it easily. Because she loves to experiment with knocking things over–hey, what toddler doesn’t?–I like that it has a wide base and rubber stripping [&hellip
First week back to school and we’re already looking for a short-cuts. Because I’m a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, I try to make dinner for my finicky family at least 5 nights a week–sometimes 6 if I’m really ambitious. I’ll admit I’m a creature of habit who often cooks the same tried-and-true meals over and over (hey, when you’ve got a 2-year-old who’ll only eat a piece of bread some days, your sense of adventure takes a backseat to practicality). But every so often, I break out of my routine and try something fun. This week, in honor of the U.S. Open 2010, we sat down a dinner of Racchette pasta and meatballs. The tennis racquet pastas are a whimsical shape you won’t find in every supermarket [&hellip