Archive for Toddlers
Two versions of a kitty hat.
Posted by: | CommentsHere are my latest creations. I hade two mothers of twins who wanted hats for their twin girls.
Online kids consignment- Thredup!!!!
Posted by: | CommentsI have just discovered the neatest site and had to share it!!!! You know I am interested in trying to keep the world a little cleaner… what is better than passing on clothes your kids have grown out of and getting the next size from someone else!!!!????
Thredup is a site where you can do this. You pack up a box of gently used clothes your child has grown out of. You group them by size. Then, after you list them, someone chooses them. You print off the label and send it to them. No charge to you! Then, you can choose a box for your own child. You pay shipping and receive it whithin about a week! It is so awesome!!!!
Go to http://www.thredup.com to check it out!!!!
I just ordered my first box this morning and listed 4 while the kids were in rest time. I can’t wait to get the box for Zane! It has 3 hoodie sweatshirts, some pants, and some long sleeved t-shirts! A few boxes and they will be set! Plus, I don’t have to drag the kids to the store, I save money, and I am recycling!!!!
Getting your child to eat- The finger game
Posted by: | CommentsYes, I know it is hard to believe, but I am actually posting TWO DAYS in a row!!!!!
A friend of mine found one of my tips helpful and told me to post it on here. So, here it is… hope it helps.
My kids are different eaters. Bree will try just about everything with a little encouragement. The only thing she regularly dislikes is peanut butter. Zane, is like his father. He knows what he likes and sticks to those items. Sometimes, it is hard to get him to eat all together. He is so long and lean… and constantly on the go. So, I came up with a simple game that works really well with him.
I hold up my hand with 5 fingers. He only has to make sure he takes 5 bites. Each time he takes a bit, a finger goes down. Often, he will end up eating more than the 5 bites. However, it is a great visualization for him and he knows that is all that is required. It helps him to have some control, I think.
Anyway, my friend’s child has sensory issues, was a micro-preemie, and has had problems gaining weight. He LOVES this game!!!! She said when he says he is done, after only a couple bites, she asks if he wants to play the “finger game”. He always does… and he always eats at least 5 more bites.
Hope it helps with your picky eater!
A tissue… and tea for two! (or more)
Posted by: | CommentsI was recently talking to a mom who’s little girl has a sore throat with her upper respiratory infection. She has not been drinking because her throat hurts. She asked for ideas. So, I passed along these thoughts.
When we, as adults, get sick with a cold or something where are throat hurts, we find a warm drink will often help soothe. That with some honey to coat the throat does wonders!
So, if you are in this situation, have a tea party!!!! Warm peppermint or chamomile tea is tasty. Add some honey to sweeten it up. If your child likes lemon, add some of that too. Your child will feel better and will enjoy having an old fashioned tea party with his/her parent!
(By the way, we don’t have tea cups. So, we just use coffee mugs. That in ITSELF is a novelty for them! lol We also dress up, if they are up to it.)
Bi-focals
Posted by: | CommentsLast week we went back to the Opthamologist. DH and I had both noticed Bree’s right eye turning in, even with the glasses. So, in the end the Dr. said she needs to start wearing bi-focals. Great. Everyone I mention this to says something along the lines of, “I thought those were just for old people.”
Anyway, we went to the glasses store next door and ordered her new lenses. We came home and… Bree lost the glasses. I have had my eye out for them since they were lost. Today I turned the house upside down looking for them… to no avail. I am at my wits END!!!!! I have to find those glasses!!!!! 
The good thing is, our house is getting super clean and organized. The bad thing, still no glasses. Ugh!
Removing temporary tattoos
Posted by: | CommentsMy kids have gotten loads of tattoos this Halloween season. Which is fine with me! I would rather them have some little tattoos, stickers, or playdoh instead of candy.
Well, the other night we went crazy. I let them have as many tattoos as they wanted, which meant their arms were COVERED! We are going to another Halloween party… and guess what they will have? More tattoos!!!!! So, I decided to take the old ones off.
I had heard you could use baby oil, but we don’t have any. Not sure we ever did. I was never too sure about oiling up the babies. (We did use coconut oil massages). So, I got out the olive oil. I rubbed it on the tattoos. Massaged it in a little. And rubbed it briskly with a towel. They came off!!!! No screaming, whining, or squirming… they came right off. And now the kids have smooth soft arms! 
Wordless Wednesday
Posted by: | Comments
Best invention EVER!!!!!
Posted by: | CommentsThere are a few things I have found we could not live without. The Ergo and Bob Stroller are two of them. When you have twins, simplicity is everything. These are 2 of the, very few, things we bought outright. I have NEVER regretted either purchase!!!!
Well, here is my 3rd recommendation, the TOT Clock !!!!! This is one of those true finds… once you have it, you don’t know how you ever lived without it!!!!!
As I have posted, we have been having LOADS of trouble getting Zane to sleep or even stay IN his toddler bed. I have put him back repeatedly, offered a reward, all sorts of stuff. The kid just refused to sleep. I was at my wits end!
After some research I found the TOT Clock . I spoke to the company and they agreed to send me one to review. I ordered a 2nd one for Bree because I was so excited about it! We got different faceplates for each of their clocks, that they picked out. Zane got sports and Bree got pink with a rainbow and castle. I felt this would help them buy into the idea and feel ownership. They were both THRILLED!
The features on this thing are AMAZING!!!!! It lights up in different colors to help your child know what they should be doing. Right now we have mostly just been using 3 of the colors. Dark Blue for night time, Light blue for nap, and Yellow for daytime. You can set them for the times and duration you want. Plus, if you are changing the schedule, you can start them when you want!
At first things were a little rough. Being 2, it took awhile for them to understand the concept. BUT, I am happy to say, they both fully understand it now!!!! Their nap setting is set for 2 1/2 hours. Bree has never had much trouble with sleep time, until we gave up the binky. We had a rough couple of weeks. Now, they are both laying in bed until the clock turns yellow again. Most of the time sleeping! They are so proud when they come out and say “Clock is yellow! Time to get up!!!!”
I’m finally having a bit of peace and quiet to myself! Plus, the clock has even MORE to offer! You can set it to tell your child a story, play music, AND have white noise sounds for sleep. In addition, you can program it with a wake up song to wake your child for school. This clock is amazing!!!! Plus, you can plug it in, or put batteries in so you can take it with you if you travel! This is so nice… When we go somewhere, I am always trying to find something to help produce the white noise my kids are use to sleeping with. Now, I can just take this along and their routine isn’t changed!!!!!
Let me tell you about the stories… we have 4 of them. We have the original one that comes with the clock, Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, and Tortaise and the Hare. Not only are the kids listening to timeless classics, but the way these stories are created truly help the kids to relax and go to sleep!!!! I was listening to one the other night. The story almost sounded like a meditation CD I have used to get to sleep! It talked about relaxing your body, then during the story it had some slow repetition and the person swinging back and forth… back and forth… back and forth. They have REALLY put some thought into this!!!! Not only are they helping kids learn when to be in bed, how to start reading a clock, and listening to a story, but the kids are also learning how to calm their body and mind! This is something I am JUST NOW learning!!!!!
In conclusion, I can’t say enough good things about the TOT Clock . The product is amazing!!!! In addition, when I first received a clock that had a small flaw, they immediately sent me a new one AND a paid shipping box for the return of the other! They took it right in to examine it so they could avoid having any more problems. In addition, they sent us one of the treasure stories. They have been the best costumer service I have ever worked with!
My opinion, this is a MUST HAVE! It will help with sleep time, time out, night waking, and much more. I don’t know how parents of toddlers can live without it!!!!
Bye bye Binkies… Here come the BIG KIDS!
Posted by: | CommentsSo, Zane rarely takes a binky, but Bree has been DEPENDENT on it! We have been talking to them since they started potty training, that binkies are for babies. Yesterday, we really started hitting it hard core. Bree wanted earrings (”like Mommies”). I told her only big girls could wear Earrings.
Naptime for Bree was rough. She didn’t really sleep any. I gave her some “broken binkies”, but that just made her mad.
Tonight we made a family date. I searched the house for all the binkies. We went to the nearby mall. At the suggestion of a friend, we went to build-a-bear and stuffed all the binkies in a Hello Kitty and an owl (minus 2 newer ones… Hey, I was worried and hid them. lol)… It was so funny, because Bree had to suck EVERY SINGLE ONE before it was stuffed into the kitty… but, They were SOOOoooo excited to get new animals!
Then, Bree and I went and got her ears pierced, since only big girls can wear earrings! It was pretty smooth. A little crying on the 2nd ear, but excitement once it was done!
At bedtime, they both went down. Bree cried for a bit and actually told me to “Get them out of Kitties’ BACK!”. But I told her they were gone. DH put a sleep sack on Hello Kitty (like Bree and Zane’s) and she went to right to sleep! I think her falling to sleep so quickly was due to no real nap, but I’m still excited!
Day 1 with no binkies!!!!!
