Stay-Dry Really Keeps You and Baby Dry

Now that little Lauren has arrived, I finally got the opportunity to try the Stay-Dry Apron & Towel that I was so excited about. And how did it work out?

I loved it! The Stay-Dry was very easy to velcro around my neck and wear, and even easier to place on the counter and then place Lauren on so that I could scoop her up and keep her warm. Then once she was dry, I was able to place her on her changing table and put on her clothes.

The proof is now in the pudding...the Stay-Dry Apron and Towel is a must have. And remember, Houses, Couches and Babies' readers can give the discount #SP0906 to save 10% on your purchase.

Gobble Gobble Cupcakes

Since I spend half of my time on the computer playing games and activities at PlayhouseDisney.com, I was excited to find an idea that my son and I were able to try out for ourselves.

These Turkey Cupcakes are just one of the many recipes and ideas PlayhouseDisney.com is featuring for Thanksgiving. Click here to check out the other decorations, games and activities and recipes you can use to involve your kids in all the Thanksgiving fun!

Lauren Elizabeth

Okay, so there is a good reason there haven't been any posts the past several days...Baby #2 arrived!

Lauren Elizabeth was born on Saturday, November 10 at 7:02 am (yeah, that means no sleep the night before because contractions started at 8:45 on Friday night!). She weighed 8 lbs. 9-1/2 oz, which I must say is pretty impressive for a baby that came 8 days before her due date. (But I didn't feel the 8-1/2 lbs of baby because of my blessed epidural...thank you Dr. Yung, the best anesthesiologist in the world!)

Unfortunately, we had to spend a few more days in the hospital because little Lauren decided to hold her breathe every now and again. That kind of behavior earned her a few days in NICU. Come to find out, she had a bit of fluid in her lungs most likely because she didn't spend enough time in the birth canal. So, although Mommy, Daddy and doctor were glad that I got her out quickly, sometimes it is better for you to push for a longer amount of time because while in the birth canal, that is when the fluid is "squeezed out."

Anyways, Lauren is now home and happy to be with her big brother. And luckily, big brother seems to like her, too. It must be that Lightning McQueen power wheels car little sister bribed him with!

Oh, and here are a couple of things to remember if you are pregnant:

1. get the epidural
2. contractions may be erratic, so average the time spacing (or you could end up like me, getting to the hospital at 7-8 cm dilated)
3. get the epidural!!!

On no! Curious George Recalled, Too!?!

Just when you thought all of your child's toys had been recalled, there is yet another to add to the list. About 175,000 Curious George dolls were recalled yesterday. The particular dolls were, naturally, made in China and were recalled because they contain unsafe amounts of lead.

The recalled dolls have a plastic face and are sold in five different models, including "birthday," "fireman," "sweet dreams," "tool time" and "tool time with a soft face." They were sold with Curious George story or activity books at toy and discount department stores nationwide from December 2005 through August 2007.

If you are concerned about a Curious George doll you have at home, you can contact Marvel Toys at 800-352-2064. For more information on this recall, you can also visit cpsc.gov.

Kneepads for Your Little Crawlers

Thanks to Classymommy.com, I found the cutest kneepads for toddlers to cruise around in. A few years ago, I joked with a friend about her son's "pimp" crawl because his knees were so sore from crawling on nothing but tile flooring.

But I never thought kneepads actually existed until I saw the Silipads. And they are really cute! Not only are they great for inside the house, but outside when number #2 might try to chase #1 around!

At just $17.95, your baby's knees deserve them!

7 Signs Your Child Loves You

Okay, I know my hormones are raging with only 10 days to go when I started to cry at some of these fantastic ways to know your child loves you. (It reminded me of the picture above when my son gave me the "death grip" hug that told me he loved me!) Here are 7 signs BabyCenter compiled...

1. Your newborn stares into your eyes — he's actually working hard to memorize your face. He doesn't understand anything else about the world, but he knows you're important.

2. Your baby thinks about you even when you're not around. Between 8 and 12 months old, he'll start to scrunch his face and look around when you leave the room — and he'll smile when you return.

3. Your toddler throws wicked tantrums. Nope, those screaming fits don't mean he's stopped loving you. He wouldn't be so hurt and angry if he didn't trust you so deeply.

4. Your toddler runs to you for comfort when he falls down or feels sad. Kids this age may not truly understand the meaning of "I love you," but their actions speak louder than words

5. Your preschooler gives you a flower picked from the garden, a finger-painted heart, a sparkly rock, or another gift.

6. Your preschooler wants your approval. He'll start to be more cooperative around the house, and he'll look for chances to impress. "Look at me!" will become a catchphrase.

7. Your grade-schooler trusts you with secrets, like his first crush or his most embarrassing moment. You're his confidante, even if he shies away from your hugs in public.

These are the moments to remember when you feel like you can't take parenthood anymore!

Candles - No Fuss, No Muss

Now that we have turned back the clocks and are getting settled into fall, I can't help but find myself burning candles more often. But if there is one thing I hate, it is cleaning the wax out of a candle holder. The candle holder never looks the same (in my opinion). But thanks to Real Simple magazine, there is an easy way to lessen the mess and clean-up.

By simply spraying a thin layer of cooking spray (e.g. Crisco) inside your candle holder or votive, after the candle has burned, the remaining wax will slip right out. Sounds simple enough...I'll let you know what happens once I have tried it. You let me know what results you get. Good luck!

Saving for the Future - Don't Pull a Britney Spears

Okay, I will admit to being a Britney Spears fan. I have always liked her, and probably always will. I am not one to gossip...oh who am I kidding...but I saw on Good Morning America today that Ms. Spears makes $737,000 a month, as disclosed in court documents (I assume having to deal with all of her custody battle dealings).

According to these court documents, Britney allegedly spends $102,000 on entertainment and $16,000 on clothing each month. When I saw these figures, my jaw dropped. However, when I sat back and thought about it, when it comes to the actual percentage of her earnings, she probably spends the same on clothing and entertainment that you and I do.

So let's crunch the numbers...Britney spends 2% of her income on clothing and nearly 14% on entertainment...really, not that bad. But what I was shocked by was the amount Ms. Spears spends on savings and investments. Get ready for this one...zero, zilch, zippo, nada, nothing!!!

I know that I alone contributed to her $737,000 yesterday by buying her new CD, Britney Spears - Blackout(which is pretty good, by the way), but come on woman, you aren't going to make nearly 3/4 of a million dollars a month forever. And it flabbergasts me that she doesn't have a money manager to plan for her. My hope is that she just didn't disclose the proper information for these court documents. Although, I suppose that could get her into even more legal trouble.

My point is, and as much as I love Britney, don't follow in her footsteps and not plan for the future. Make sure that you are contributing to your 401(k) plan or investing in a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. Because even in Britney's defense, at 65, she will still get more money for a crotch shot than you and I ever will.

Just some food for thought...have a great weekend!

Saucy Little Onesies

With the new baby's arrival in 16 days (or less! Oh please God, let it be less!), I suddenly started thinking about clothes for this child. Sure, since we don't know what we are having, we have plenty of unisex clothing to get by. And since I still can't think about boy or girl clothes yet, I found in Pregnancy & Newborn magazine some cute (and funny) onesie ideas...that can work for a boy or girl!

Here are just a few:

"Poo Factory" (comficozy.com, $25)

"I drink until I pass out" (cafepress.com, $12.99)

"Mommy & Daddy + Martini = Me" (psychobabyonline.com, $28)

You can find these and many other cute onesies and t-shirts on their respective websites. Of course, these are always cute gift ideas, too!