Cute Shoes for Little Feetsies

As a baby, my son didn't really wear shoes all that often because he always seemed to wiggle them off...that is, until he got his first pair of Robeez shoes. Robeez Baby Shoes and Baby Booties are form-fitted, soft leather shoes that are perfect for babies to crawl around in as well as learn to walk in. My son took his first steps in his Robeez shoes because they fit his little feet like gloves.

As a mom, I loved these shoes because they were always so easy to get on and off and could be thrown in the washing machine with his clothes when they got too dirty. And oh yeah, they are so cute...look at these Mary Janes!

With spring in full bloom, Robeez has adorable and limited seasonal styles (bunny featured below) that are sure to impress you and your baby!

Robeez offers booties that are sure to keep your baby's feet warm and in style during the cold winter months.

They also have cute sandals that allow your child's foot to breath while still protecting them from the heat.

Shoes are typically $26 and booties are $37. For even lower prices, check out the Robeez Footwear on Sale!

How to Deal With Mommy Guilt

Last week I posted on how mommies spend more time with their children than mothers did in 1965. Unfortunately, we still have "Mommy Guilt."

That's where Devra and Aviva from Parentopia.net come in. These fantastic ladies (who have more than 450,00 parenting hours to their credit) have put together a website, blog, and book (Mommy Guilt: Learn To Worry Less, Focus on What Matters Most and Raise Happier Kids), to help moms, dads, and even grandparents stop worrying and just enjoy their time parenting.

There are 7 principles identified in Mommy Guilt as keys to guilt-free motherhood. Here are just a couple to get you started:

• Parenting is not a competitive sport
• Laugh alot, especially with your children

Have feelings of guilt but don't know who to talk to about it? The parentopia blog allows you to actively express your feelings and ask questions that either Devra or Aviva will respond to.

In addition, on the Parentopia website you can find excerpts from their award-winning book and external resources that can make parenting easier.

So stop feeling guilty and start enjoying parenthood to its fullest!

Ease Your Child's Constipation

Let's face it, constipation isn't fun for anyone, including your child. BabyCenter offers some tips for helping ease your child's constipation. (FYI: some of these tips can help adults, too!)

• Avoid giving your child too many foods that have a binding effect. These include bananas, cooked carrots or squash, and large quantities of dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. Two to three servings of dairy per day are adequate for a toddler. (One serving equals 1/2 cup milk, for example.)
  
• Boost your child's fiber intake. Give him/her plenty of whole wheat crackers, cereal, or bread, and fruits and vegetables such as prunes, apricots, plums, peas, beans, and broccoli.
  
• To help keep your toddler's stools soft, increase the amount of fluid she drinks. Water is your best choice, but a little prune or apple juice might also help. However, you'll want to limit your toddler's juice consumption to about 4 ounces per day, to prevent tooth decay and a ruined appetite. She should wet four or five diapers a day or, if she's toilet-trained, pee at least once every five to six hours.
  
• Encourage him/her to crawl, cruise, or walk every day, to get the blood flowing to all of her organs.
  
• Massage your toddler's belly. Measure three finger-widths below her navel and apply gentle but firm pressure there with your fingertips. Press until you feel a firmness or mass. Maintain gentle but constant pressure for about three minutes.
  
• Don't pressure your toddler to potty train before she's ready. Pushing her to use the potty can make her afraid or resentful, and she could wind up withholding bowel movements.
  
• Encourage your child to use the potty as soon as she feels ready to poop. If she says she never feels ready, try having her spend five to 10 minutes on the toilet after breakfast and dinner.
  
• Talk to your toddler's doctor about treatment options. She may suggest an over-the-counter stool softener, a lubricant such as mineral oil, a suppository, or laxatives if your toddler is very constipated.
  

For more details on how to ease your child's constipation, click here.

My Bambino for Your Baby

Thank you to MyMomShops blog for sharing a great way to keep track of your child's growth. My Bambino makes this adorable growth chart that is sturdy, personalized and allows you to put pictures in it. This growth chart is $29.99 and the price includes personalization. Check out MyBambino.com for other great gifts like frames, flipstools, growth charts and and piggy banks (piggy banks, $12.99, $24.99, $39.99; flipstools, $39.99).

Mommy Guilt Be Gone!

For all you mommies out there that feel guilty for not spending enough time with your kids, you are not alone. I saw on Good Morning America yesterday that mommy guilt is a real feeling that many moms will feel at one time or another (or perhaps all the time). This is most likely caused by our society's push for "hyperparenting" and how so many things are kid-centered these days.

The good news is...mommies are doing a great job! In fact, moms today spend on average 14.1 hours with their kids per week in comparison to moms in 1965 who spent 10.2 hours with their kids. Although many mothers in the 60's were stay at home moms (a.k.a. June Cleaver), they spent 40% more time on housework than mothers do today.

And more great news...dads spent 7 hours with their children in 2003 in comparison to just 2.5 hours per week in 1965. Even though women spend twice as much time around the house, dads have nearly tripled the time they spend focused on their kids.

So pat yourself on the back, you are doing alot better than you think!

Photo courtesy of Good Morning America

New Uses for Household Items

This morning, on Good Morning America, Real Simple magazine featured new uses for ordinary household items. Here are a few of the new uses:

Transparent Tape

Old Use: Sticking things together

New Use: Cleaning computer keyboard

Pam Cooking Spray

Old Use: Nonstick cooking and baking

New Use: Finishes, dries nail polish

Cut Lemon

Old Use: Flavor

New Use: Clean cheese grater

Rice

Old Use: Side dish

New Use: Clean coffee grinder

Chalk

Old Use: Writing on blackboard

New Use: Preventing silver tarnish

Powdered Lemonade (Crystal Light, Koolaid)

Old Use: Refreshment

New Use: Clean dishwasher

For more on how to use these items and the science behind it, click here.

Photo courtesy of www.abcnews.com/gma

Adventures on Sesame Street Photo Book Update

With my son's second birthday less than a month away, I followed my own advice and ordered the Adventures on Sesame Street photo book by Shutterfly for my son. All I can say is that he is going to flip out when he sees this book! It is so amazing! For some of the pictures it is obvious that his head is just cropped in, but for others it really looks like he is part of the picture. There are so many scenes in the book which include several different outfits. I almost started crying when I saw what my son would look like in a tuxedo.

If your child even just slightly likes Sesame Street, then you have to get this book for him/her (or maybe just for yourself)!

Adventure Books - Put your toddler's picture in an alphabet adventure, or alongside Sesame Street characters. Order yours today at Shutterfly.com.

I know this is pretty much a duplicate post, but it is well-worth mentioning again!

Sunscreen Made Easy

Nothing is better than the warm weather of spring and summer. But as a mom, there is one thing that is difficult about the warm season...applying sunscreen to my son. He likes to run away and touch the furniture, even though the sunscreen isn't rubbed in. Over the weekend, we found the Sun Pals Sunscreen Wipes at Toys R Us, and let me tell you, they are awesome. I have used them the past 2 days on my son and it has made applying sunscreen quick and painless...and it works!

The wipes are waterproof, sweatproof, and hypoallergenic. The protection lasts for 80 minutes of activity in water, sweating or perspiring. They also pack easily for travel and your on-the-go lifestyle. The only drawback is that the wipes are just 30 SPF.

You can also find these wipes at drugstore.com. Summer has just gotten a little easier!

Doorganizer

Thanks to My Mom Shops my husband will no longer misplace his keys and wallet (or so I hope!). This Doorganizer simply hangs on a doorknob and can hold keys, cell phone, wallet, blackberry, or anything else you or your significant others leaves the house with everyday. The Doorganizer is only $15 at Wishingfish.com. Happy Organizing!

Potty Training - Do's and Don'ts

Potty training is definitely a major topic in my house now that my son is nearly 2. Our son doesn't seem quite ready yet, and my husband and I aren't sure what steps to take. BabyCenter has come up with 10 steps to make toilet training more successful in your home:

1. Assess your child's readiness - and your own


2. Buy the right equipment


3. Create a routine


4. Demonstrate for your child


5. Explain the process


6. Foster the habit


7. Grab some training pants


8. Handle setbacks gracefully


9. Introduce night time training


10. Jump for Joy - you are done!

For more on these potty training tips, check out The ABC's of Toilet Training.

BabyCenter also has a list of 5 things to avoid when potty training:

• Start too soon


• Starting at the wrong time


• Putting on the pressure


• Following your mother-in-law's timetable (or anyone else's for that matter!)


• Punishing your child
  

For more details on these steps to avoid, click here.

Photo courtesy of BabyCenter.com

Keep the Change

My husband and I just signed up for a new program through our bank, Bank of America, called Keep the Change. My husband uses his ATM card more than I do (I use our credit card to get miles...really, I spend so much on the credit card just so I can get to Tahiti some day!) so we have enrolled just his card so far.
This is how the program works. You purchase something, let's say the total price is $15.65. Bank of America rounds that up to $16.00 and that is what is debited to your card. The remaining 35 cents is then placed in your savings account. For the first 3 months, Bank of America matches your savings 100%. And when the three months are over, Bank of America continues contributing 5% a year, every year. This reward is paid annually to your savings account.

Of course, when you look at the amounts and percentages, they aren't "retire early to Hawaii" kind of figures, but every little bit helps. Especially if you are like me and have a tougher time saving. If you don't bank at Bank of America but are interested, ask your bank if they have a similiar program.

Photo courtesy of BankofAmerica.com

Get Ready to Wiggle!

On Sunday, we took our almost 2 year old to his first concert, The Wiggles. I must admit, I was probably more excited than my son considering that I know every word to every song they sing (and I like the songs, too!).

I have to say, they put on a great show. I was a bit skeptical after the lead singer had to retire due to a chronic condition, but his replacement, Sam Moran, does a great job. The funniest part of the show for me was my son looking at the stage, then looking at the TV screen, then back at the stage again trying to put it together that they were more than just on TV this time.

If your child/ren like The Wiggles, they have re-opened their website and have a fan club that you can enroll your child/ren in. You will receive concert information as well as other fun Wiggles stuff and information. I just signed my son up today, so I don't know exactly what you get, but since my son is a huge fan of The Wiggles, I figure he should be in the official fan club. (Oh yeah, and the fan club is free.)

And just so you know, I initially was unsure about my son liking The Wiggles. I thought, oh no, he is going to listen to Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani and that is all he will need. While he does kick his feet to their beats in his car seat, he doesn't jump around to either of those artists like he does The Wiggles. And besides, it's nice to step out of parenthood and just have good, clean fun with your kids.

Photo courtesy of TheWiggles.com

Cute Overload

I know, it's Monday and you don't want to at work. (That same thought may apply for Tuesday through Friday, too!) For those days when you feel angry or upset...I have found a cure...Cute Overload! This blog is absolutely adorable and can't help but melt your heart.Come on, how can this face not cheer you up?

Photo courtesy of CuteOverload.com

Spring Gymboree

Spring and Easter are nearly here and it is already time for new clothes for the new season. Gymboree has some of the cutest dresses for girls and handsome outfits for boys (and, of course, babies, too!)













Baby Boy Argyle Style and the Baby Girl Eyelet Dress are just a couple of adorable ideas for this spring (above). And for the newborns, the Scene Stealer and Budding Beauty are sure to impress(left)!

Can Ice Cream Help You Get Pregnant?

In case you needed another excuse to eat ice cream...here is a study that boggled my mind. If you are trying to get pregnant, you can start eating the ice cream now! In fact, eating ice cream may help you get pregnant. Click here to find out more about this study.

Childproofing for a Toddler

Childproofing is challenging...first for a baby, then for a toddler. I am sure you would agree that going to homes that aren't childproofed (i.e. grandparents' houses or friends who don't have kids) can especially be a challenge. Here are some childproofing tips from BabyCenter that hopefully make the transition from baby to toddler smoother...

• Bathtub: Put nonslip mats in — and next to — bathtub


• Crib: Don't leave toys (or anything else that would help him climb out) in crib when child is sleeping


• Bed: Consider moving child from crib to bed when he's 35 inches tall


• Prevent burning: Don't hold child while cooking at the stove


• Clothing: Don't use clothing with drawstrings


• Keep blow dryers, toasters, and other appliances unplugged and out of reach


• Cut looped window blind cords; use safety tassels and cord stops


• Forbidden territory: Distract child from forbidden places by keeping one cupboard unlocked and filled with lightweight, child-safe items


• Keep televisions on low, sturdy furniture, pushed back as far as possible


• Poison proofing: Remember that your purse or a visitor's purse may hold medicines, toiletries, and other toxic substances — move handbags out of reach

For a complete list childproofing for toddlers that BabyCenter recommends, please click here.

Eat Food, Save Food

Okay, so you know you are mom when you buy a FoodSaver. I will admit I never thought I would use one, but now I can't live witout it. Especially now that I am shopping nearly every week at Costco, I find myself using my FoodSaver to save food items like cheese, meats, and pancakes.

More importantly, if you buy the right Accessories, you can save valuable items such as wine, too! The WineSaver can make drinking a glass of wine (yes, just one glass) easier and you won't feel compelled to drink the entire bottle because you know you can save it.

Go ahead, buy in bulk...just make sure you have the right tool to save! Check out FoodSaver.com to find out which tool you need most!

Yard Fantastic

Spring is right around the corner, and before you know it, you will get to spend more time outside. Right now, you might look out at your front/backyard and think things look pretty drab. Smith & Hawken to the rescue! This website is filled with clever ideas on how you can decorate your yard.

Fresh Spring Decor, Grilling & Entertaining, Plants, and Furniture are just a few of the categories you can look into at Smith & Hawken. Right now, there are some great sale items as well, including the Chimney Laterns ($26.99 - $47.99), the Terracotta Hose Pot (28.99), the Avignon Bar Cabinet (orig. $1995.00, now $797.99), and the Dogirondack Bed (orig. $175 - 225, now $86.99 - $111.99) for your four-legged family member.

St. Patrick's Day Fun

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner (March 17), which means it is time to drink green beer and celebrate the luck of the Irish. If you are feeling especially festive this year, RedEnvelope St. Patricks Day Gifts are the perfect way to spread holiday cheer. With the Irish baby set ($48, above), you won't need any luck on St. Patrick's Day with a matching bib and burp cloth for your baby's colared onesie. Or perhaps, you want to drink your green beer in Celtic glasses ($35, below).

Wear the luck of the Irish on your sleeve, with the four-leaf clover toggle bracelet (orig. $85, now $29.99, below), or close to your heart with the Peridot Horseshoe Necklace ($36, below).



HURRY! Order before midnight on Friday, March 2, and save 15% off entire orders at Red Envelope.