Being outdoors absolutely provides the best activity outlets to kids when it comes to learning and fun! There’s just so much for them to explore and enjoy out in the open, thanks to the unending wonders of nature. At times, however, your little ones may not get to revel in the fun that they usually do outdoors. Whether it’s due to the scorching summer heat or the fact that you and your partner are both busy running some errands, there are days when your kids have to remain within the confines of your house. It’s during moments like these that you must involve your little ones in activities that not only keep them busy, but also help contribute to their overall development.
Tag Archives: toddler
5 Quick Tips to Organize the Playroom
It is common for playrooms to have lots of toys. Toys on the floors, toys on the table, toys everywhere. However, just because it is a playroom doesn’t mean toys have to be all over the place. On the contrary, organized and tidy playrooms are much more fun to be in. If you want your kids’ playroom to feel that way too, you need to find a way to keep it tidy and neat. For the sake of happy kids and a happy mum, here are some quick and easy tips for organizing your playroom. Enjoy!
How to Sanitize and Store Your Baby Stuff
You may have noticed that I’ve been a bit absent, well I’ve been pack pack packin’ away. We move on Thursday and I’ve been busy! Since I’m preoccupied with moving, I’ve got a lovely guest post for you today. Enjoy! 🙂
You have probably noticed, that with the appearance of your baby, there is certainly a huge list of things to buy. All the baby equipment such as chairs, strollers as well as other tiny items need to be bought if you want to ensure the utmost comfort for your infant. However, you also need to be well informed on how to sanitize and to store all the baby stuff that you may want to preserve for your next baby.
Instead of throwing away all the items, you can preserve them in an immaculate condition, simply by taking into account the following tips.
You would probably say that there is a never-ending list of items that need to be sanitized and stored, but thanks to this article you will be able to make a list of all the basic baby stuff that you should clean and store in a safe and appropriate place.
Not a Great Day
Hey guys! I know that Wednesdays are typically my days to send out a super, great, awesome post – but I just do not have it in me today.
I did not plan ahead to have something written, and now it’s 9:30 EST time, and I’m pooped. I have some other work I need to do, and my brain simply does not feel like being creative.
Plus, it was a tiring day. Emmett woke up a few times last night, not sure why. He said he was scared, but that’s about all I could get out of him. We’ve also hit a bump in the road with poop training. He’s doing so awesome with pee pee on the potty, but poop has been a bit of a hurdle this last week. What I’m trying to say (TMI) is that he hasn’t taken a good crap in a couple days. I’m worried about him! We did give him some Miralax this evening, hopefully that will help move things along.
I’m also, stressing a bit about all the packing we have left to do. I shouldn’t stress *that* much, though. Our move is on the 23rd, but we have the apartment until the 30th. I don’t plan on taking that long to move everything over, but we do have plenty of time. Still, there’s a lot to do.
Then, there’s the whole ordeal about my eating. I’ve been struggling big time with binge eating again. It has been a good 3 months or so, since I had fallen off the rails. I think it’s not having a regular routine, like you do when you work outside the home. Emmett and I have a routine, but it’s very different, and if something doesn’t go according to plan – it’s no big deal. I need to wrangle this in and take control of myself. I’m struggling with the how, though. Any work at home or stay at home moms have any ideas / tips?
And finally, the icing on the cake is the guys downstairs are being obnoxiously loud tonight. I can normally block it out, but because of all the other stuff eating away at me, it’s been a struggle.
Basically, what it comes down to is that I need to chill the EFF out. Right?!
Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and post and be 100% real with you guys. I love you, but I just don’t have it in me to write some grandiose post. Sorry…
Tips for Toddler Tooth Brushing
When it comes time to brush their teeth, does your toddler run screaming for the hills? Or better yet, maybe they don’t run, they just scream?
We’ve been there! Emmett is a pro at holding the toothbrush and pretending to brush, but when it comes time for mommy or daddy to get in there, it’s a battle. Since we’ve struggled so much over the last several months, I thought I’d share some of the tips that I’ve come across in my search for toothbrushing GREATNESS! My hope is that you will find success with at least one of them, or maybe a mix of several.
When it comes to brushing their teeth, most toddlers are more interested in sucking the toothpaste off of the brush, chewing on the bristles or just plain splashing in the water. But, there are ways that you can correct this behavior, and get their pearly, baby whites, brushed.
… Continue Reading
Potty Training in a Weekend – Success!
If you recall, a week and a half (or so) ago, I had written that I was going to be venturing into the potty training territory with Emmett. I was SUUPER nervous, but he was showing signs that he was ready, and it’s not fair for me to hold him back because of my worries, or because I don’t want him to grow up. 😉
Since, it’s been about 13 days, I wanted to provide you with an update on how things are going. I’m sure you’ve all been dying to hear more about my son’s potty habits, right!? 😛 (PS: This is a long post, but I hope you’ll stick around.)
Did We Succeed?
In a word, YES! Emmett is officially potty trained, but please know that it was not easy.
We followed the method that Becky Mansfield writes about in her book, Potty Train in a Weekend. The book is great! She goes into incredible detail about things like how many potty chairs you should have (yes, you should probably have more than one, if you follow this method), which potty chairs she prefers, and then what to look for as you begin your journey.
Emmett’s my first child, so I was clueless, however, after reading Becky’s book, I felt VERY prepared.
So here’s how it went…
We started on a Friday… The second I heard Emmett start to stir in his room, I went in to get him up and out of his diaper. I plopped him on his little stand alone potty chair (we love this potty), and he kind of just sat there for maybe a minute, and stared at me. He knew it was a potty chair, but not what to really do in it.
After a bit of him sitting there, I declared it breakfast time. Now, he was bare bottomed all day, and actually in the book, she recommends them being completely naked. However, we live in Buffalo and it’s chilly, so he had a long sleeved, tight fitting shirt on, and warm socks. You need to be able to see when they start to pee, so that you can rush them onto the potty. This is critical on the first day!
Friday was hard. We couldn’t leave the house, because I needed to watch him, so that I could rush him to the potty as soon as he started to pee. We pulled out every possible toy we could think of.
By 11 am, he still hadn’t peed, in the potty or anywhere else. I was starting to think he was holding it in, or resisting potty training. (I was feeding him loads of fluids, too.) Around 11:30, I noticed him start to leak a bit, I picked him up and immediately put him on the potty and told him to “Go Pee.” He did it! He went pee pee on the potty!
This was our song after the first time peeing on the potty!!… Continue Reading
100+ Tips for Breastfeeding Success
Breastfeeding a newborn, can be one of the most difficult things that you do, but there has NEVER been something more worth it in your life!
In the beginning, you’re unsure of what you’re doing, your child knows what to do, but may not latch correctly, which can lead to painful, cracked nipples, or your child under-eating. However, there ARE ways to overcome this, and still have 100% success for you and for your child.
The BEST piece of advice that I can give you, is DO NOT GIVE UP! Yes, things may be difficult, and you might have times in the beginning where you are exhausted and want sleep, but don’t quit. It DOES get easier, and eventually, it is the most amazing time spent with your child. That time is just for you and your baby, no one else can have that… think about how special that is! Think of the bonds that will be built. 🙂
Side note: One thing, that I think is incredibly important to mention – My intention when writing this is not to criticize a mom who chose to formula feed, but to encourage those moms who are struggling with breastfeeding.
