:: MEAL TIME ::

Once your baby is eating puréed food, these are my go-to products:

Glass Lock Containers

Glass Lock 16 piece set - the set pictured includes a spoon (mine did not), but these are AMAZING.  They don't leak, they don't retain smell (hello, we're introducing eggplant this week, that is not a smell I wish to remain inside my containers), and they can be used in the microwave as long as you remove the lid. The set was about $18

Vital Baby spoons

When I tried these spoons by Vital Baby (purchased from Winners), I was immediately in love with them.  It sounds silly, but trying to dig out runny baby food from the bottom of a jar becomes unnerving when you have a hungry baby hollering away inches from your face.  These spoons are actually little mini flexible spatulas.  They will reach every last drop of food.  My husband even noticed and was like, "these spoons are cool"... and for him to notice something such as infant tableware... that's saying a lot.  This 5 pack was under $5. 


Amy

S T R E T C H M A R K S

Stretch marks.  Nobody wants them, but sometimes, it's inevitable.  Your body is doing a lot of growing to accommodate your baby.  A few stretch marks aren't the end of the world, and most of them should fade over time, but here's what you can do to help prevent, or at least minimize them.

First of all, stretch marks are believed to be hereditary, so you do not have 100% control over whether or not you will get them.  What you can do, is make sure that your skin stays hydrated.  Drink LOTS of water, and eat well.  Healthy skin will have the most elasticity.  Skin is your body's biggest organ - take care of it!

I applied the following products throughout my pregnancy:

Bio-Oil

Bio-Oil is super hydrating, but it is an oil, so you may not want to put it on before getting dressed... I think it's best applied after the shower, while your skin is still moist.  I didn't mind getting my pj's oily, but I didn't want to go to work looking like I forgot what a shower was.  It's REALLY oily.  The instructions suggest you apply, (and I quote), "During pregnancy, it should be applied from the start of the second trimester to areas that are prone to stretch marks such as the abdomen, breasts, lower back, hips, buttocks and thighs."

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion.  I didn't LOVE this product, but I still went through an entire bottle.  I used it on my thighs and bottom mainly.  It smells pretty good, but doesn't feel thick enough to really coat and sink into the skin.   It claims to, "boost your skins elasticity and suppleness... best for pregnant women to help prevent stretch marks."

Therapy Massage Bar by LUSH

Therapy Massage Bar by LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics.  My brothers girlfriend got this for my birthday.  This little bar just melts upon skin contact, so you'll want to store it in a moisture free area (not in the bathroom).  You just rub it in your hands and then into your skin.  It "moisturizes with cocoa and shea butters to make your hard skin get softer and supple. All of the essential oils and butters in Therapy are certified organic..."  Wondering about the design on top of the bar?  1 out of 4 babies are born with outie belly buttons!  Love! 








I have also heard great things about Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula, Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks.  I've never tried it, so I can't offer an honest review, but several of my friends have tried it and liked it. 







Amy

Rub a Dub Dub... Baby Bath Time !

I love bath time!  It's part of our nightly routine and one of my favourite times of the day. 

Here are some of our bath time favourites:

Simon in his Munchkin White Hot Inflatable Duck Tub

This is so adorable !  I received it as a gift and Simon loves it.  It offers a bit more peace of mind when bathing babies that are still a little wobbly in sit up position, because they can't really slip around or tip over.  Obviously, this goes without saying, but you would never leave them unattended, it just prevents you from breaking your ribs while bending over a tub and supporting the weight of a 20 pounder.  Features:  Non slip bottom, a "quacking" beak, a temperature guide, bottom plug to release the water and suction cup to hang it to dry inside the shower/tub.

Features 13 water toys and everything fits inside the boat for easy storage.  I received it as a gift, but I believe it's sold at Target and "specialty" children's stores/ boutiques.  LOVE this. 

B. Curious "Fish and Splish"

Johnson's Baby Products have been around for over 100 years.  Here are my favourites:

Lavender Shampoo - smells so good and of course Lavender is supposed to help babies (and adults) wind down and relax before bed.

Honey Apple Body Wash - smells so yummy and doesn't dry out baby's skin.  I always squirt a little in the bath water.  

Bedtime Lotion - supposed to contain a blend of soothing aromas - try giving your baby a message using this before bed 

 

Hooded Baby Towels

Hooded Baby Towels.  There's nothing cuter, and for an added je ne sais pas, you can throw it in the dryer for a minute or two to make it nice and toasty.

MY BATH TIME TIPS:

• Get your baby used to the water at an early age so that bath time doesn't become contentious. 
• If they know that they will get a bath every night, (and hair wash every second night) then there will be no arguments because you've made it part of their routine.
• Teach them not to fear water.  Don't worry about a little bit of water in the eyes or playtime splashing.  
• Most importantly, make it fun!  If bath time is a chore for you, babies can sense that.  So, sing, tickle, play and smile at them, and if all else fails, hop right in there with them !

Amy

#BabyPurchaseFAILS

Who else gets enamoured with marketing, packaging and promises of gratification?  Guilty. 

Below are the items that I would NOT repurchase or recommend.  Motherhood already has it's challenges, and needn't be complicated by silly inventions.

First off:  A snowsuit with a "hole" for the car seat harness.  This is quite possibly the most frustrating invention of all time.  Unless you like screaming babies, finicky contraptions and sweating to death while bent over a car seat in your front hall - in which case, this product is for you !








Next:  The "PlayGro Twirly Whirly" - Can't tell you how many times I ripped this thing off the car seat and threw it against the wall... the "dangly bits" hang down way to low and bonk the baby in the forehead.  They also prevent you from seeing what you're doing when you're trying to get your baby fastened up safely and it prevents you from being able to comfortably carry the car seat + baby because the "twirly (?)" parts wrap around the handle preventing a good grip.  Worst ever. 




Sunscreen Spray.  I bought this thinking I could apply sunscreen with 1 hand and hold the baby with the other.  Nope.  I think this is probably an okay item for older kids who can stand with their feet apart and arms out, but for babies, it's messy, greasy and impossible to apply.  Especially outside when there is ANY kind of draft.  




Lastly:  Scratch mittens.  Ugh.  Just save yourself the aggravation and keep their nails trimmed :)










There you have it, my take on products that I found not so great, but that's not to say that they're not so great for everyone, they just didn't work for me!  Does anybody have any items to contribute?  :)

Amy

::LEAST ANNOYING BABY TOYS::

I had this vision that my baby wasn't going to be one of those babies that had a ba-zillion toys that take over my entire house.  I didn't want anything that binged, dinged, sang or banged.  I didn't have noisy toys when I was little, I had dolls and Lego. I was going to have the kind of kid who played with his imagination.  Well, I was clearly delusional.  Maybe when Simon is a little older, and develops an imagination, but for now, to get me through a day, I rotate him from toy to toy, and these are the ones I can tolerate without wanting to murder myself. 

Evenflo Exersaucer Triple Fun

The Evenflo Exersaucer Triple fun.  This thing is great, and it's like a transformer.  There are 3 stages: tummy time, bouncing time (pictured) and it then it all unfolds into an "S" shape when your baby is learning how to walk.  The actual play table offers different textures, movement, lights and effects and the sound effects are kind of, dare I say "catchy"?

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn fun with friends musical table

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn "fun with friends musical table"  Simon LOVES this toy!  You can remove the legs and they can sit and play with it on the floor, so it's something that can be integrated into playtime in the early months.  There's lots of songs (not baby songs, Beethoven-type songs and other instrumentals, again, less of an irritant), and they can also pick up the phone, open and close the "laptop" and turn a book page.  

 

Fisher Price Go Baby Go Stride-to-Ride

Fisher Price Go Baby Go Stride-to-Ride.  It "roars." 'Nuff said.  Plus, it's like a road hog/ chopper for babies. 

Jolly Jumper

The original "Jolly Jumper" - It's not the easiest to get the baby all set up, but once they're in... it should buy you at least 15 minutes of entertainment.  I mean them.  It should buy them at least 15 minutes of entertainment.  Just not after they eat.  Made that mistake once.  No, seriously, this thing is hilarious.  I always lay a blanket down because of occasional spit up, and then I blare songs from "Lord of the Dance" on my iPad, and it makes me crack up every time.  








Amy

50 Shades of Purée

HOMEMADE BABY FOOD:

Veggies that work well:

• Sweet Potatoes
• Butternut Squash
• Carrots
• Eggplant 
• Green/ Yellow beans
• Peas
• Corn I started at 8 months, it's harder to digest (you know what I'm talking about)
• Beets are more trouble than they're worth, but I have made them
• Zucchini is kinda so-so.  I find it watery and potentially not as filling as starchier veggies

Fruits that work well:

• Gala apples
• Pears 
• Bananas (no need to steam)
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Plums 

1. Wash, peel (if applicable), dice and steam until tender.  I don't have anything fancy.  I just use a pot of boiling water, a lid to contain as much steam as possible and a stainless steel steamer  
2. Dump the steamed fruits/ veggies into a 4 cup Pyrex glass bowl and wait until cool.  This is SUPER important.  You can not blend things when they are hot or you will literally have a hot mess and pa-tench 3rd degree burns.  After a baby, the last thing I need is more marks on my body.  Lord have mercy.  
3. Save the precious water from the pot, you'll use that to blend and smooth your mixtures, I use the magic bullet or a braun hand mixer.  Works perfectly.  
4. Spoon into ice cube trays (buy a couple extra, it'll save time) and freeze.  



Fruit/ Veggie Steamer

 

5. Toss the frozen cubes into Ziploc bags or big containers and label and date !  
6. Get creative!  Banana-strawberry blends are a favourite, as well as 1/2 peas 1/2 carrot cubes

*Each "ice cube" measures approximately 1Tbsp.

Simons meal plan right now (at 8M) for example is this:

Breakfast:  3 tbsp of cereal, 1 cube of fruit (melted and mixed into cereal)

Lunch:  3 cubes of veggies, and 1 cube of fruit

Dinner:  3 cubes of veggies, 1 cube of fruit, 3 tbsp of cereal 

I'm not suggesting everyone follow his meal plan, I'm just letting you know what's working so far for us!  

Amy

It's MY turn to clean the bathroom!!

When did cleaning the bathroom become "the fun chore"?  When you have kids, that's when.  After dinner one night I said to my husband Joe, "okay, you watch Simon for a bit, take him for a walk or something, I'm going to clean the bathrooms."    Joe was like, "why don't you take Simon for a walk, it's beautiful out, and I'll clean the bathrooms."

My response?  "NO.  YOU ALWAYS GET THE FUN CHORES."  We both started laughing and I realized that the things I used to not be in love with (scrubbing toilets), I will happily do if it buys me some me time.

You can eat off the floors in my bathroom when I'm finished.  I don't just do the ol' toilet duck swirl, count to 10 and flush, like the old days, (pre-baby)  I get all up in that mother with a toothbrush, girlfriend.   Umma take my sweet.  ass.  time.  Every grout line, every baseboard, every surface.  Cleaned.  Disinfected.  Sparkling. That's how I roll. 

After visiting with a good friend today, she told me that she argues with her husband over who gets to mow the lawn vs. supervise their 2 kids under two.  She will fight that battle to the death because it buys her an hour and a half of me time.  Smart girl.

COSTCO - a.k.a. "The $300 store"

Lord knows you can't go to Costco and spend less than $300.  And as my Aunt says, "and then you still have to go to the grocery store to get your groceries."  This is true, but it's a great place for mums to spend some time.  

When Simon was an infant, I would time it so that we would arrive at his nap time.  I would just pop his infant car seat into the shopping cart.  It would buy me at least 2 hours of uninterrupted shopping time.  Now, it's a little trickier.  I still use the carts, but he sits in the front area designated for toddlers - I do bring the Baby Bjorn though, in case he decides to get his crank on. 

COSTCO BABY ITEMS TOO GREAT TO PASS UP:

• Clothing "Pekkle" brand. They run a little small, I found, (Simon is 8 months now, and is wearing size 12M) but they wash great, are SUPER cute and their thickness is adjusted seasonally to accommodate changing weather (it seems).  

• Carters or OshKosh outfits.  Great quality and you can't beat Costco's prices 

• Books.  Available in french and english and are usually 1/2 price if you compare them with Chapters' prices

• Diapers and Wipes.  Kirkland brand.  True to size and no leaks !  The wipes could be a little more moist, but they still do the job just fine.

• Produce in bulk!  I make all Simon's baby food.  I'm not competing to be the next mum on the cover of Time Magazine, but I like doing it, it's good for him, it's way cheaper and it really doesn't require that much effort.  I buy bags of pears, apples, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas, and berries.  Bring 'em home.  Wash 'em, steam 'em, blend 'em, pop 'em into a few ice cube trays and voila.  Food for an eternity.  

• Batteries.  You'll need them in all sizes, so stock up.  Don't be shy.  You can get rechargable batteries if you want,  but they won't last you.  Most Home Depots have the "National Battery Recycling Program" - you can just dump your old ones there.

• Bandaids, Sunscreen, Vaseline and Vitamins (folic acid, prenatal) - these all come in bulk and they're much more affordable at Costco than anywhere else I've seen.

• Photo development!  Print off your pictures of your baby!  Don't just leave them on a flash drive or on your cell phone.  Make sure you keep those memories in a safe place - they also offer canvas printing, invitations and birth announcements! 

COSTCO MAMMA ITEMS TOO GOOD TO PASS UP:

• Underpants in 5 packs.  They're horrible looking, but are comfortable for pregnancy and post delivery when you need to change undies often.  Confession:  I still wear them.  

• Pj's -  Microfibre, soft and  pretty cute.  They also often come in packages that include a robe.  

• Magazines.  Once baby comes, there's not a whole lot of time for mums, so there's no shame in locking yourself in the bathroom, sitting on the floor, painting your nails and reading a magazine, while hubby tends to baby things.  Whatever, it's been known to happen.  Chatelaine is $2.95 and Canadian living is $1.95.

Amy 

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Costco in any way - I'm just a die-hard Costco lover

BABY TIME: Hospital Essentials

1.  Notepad and Pen - the nurses will give you lots of tips and you'll want to keep track of baby's meal times, medicine times for yourself and jot down any questions for medical staff that may not be in your presence.

2.  Nipple cream.  Can't stress this enough.  It will help you with nursing and pumping.  I would have died if I didn't have this.  Literally.



 3.  Comfy jammies - preferably the nightgown sort because the hospital staff will need access to your lady bits and it's a pain to pull pants on and off. 

4.  Water and snacks.  It's nice not to have to get up.  It's also nice not to have to eat hospital food toujours.

5.  Shower supplies from home.  It's unlikely that you'll be up to shaving your legs and doing a body scrub, but you may want to wash the stink off and brush your teeth.

6.  Pads.  Big.  Humongous.  Pads.  The biggest you can find.  They'll still be 5x smaller than the hospital variety, but you'll need 'em.  There will be lots of "activity" down there. I brought:  Always Extra Heavy Overnight Maxi With Flexi Wings - they did the job. 





7.  Lip balm and mascara.  I know you just had a baby, but you don't have to look like hell.

8.  Flip flops

9.  Cell phone, camera, batteries, chargers.

10.  Receiving blankets and some little (previously washed) jammies and hats for the baby... hospital blankets are so scratchy

11.  Reusable grocery bags - visitors typically bring you gifts and you can just toss everything into a couple of big sturdy grocery bags, rather than have your partner lug zillions of bags and flowers to the car in several trips.

Amy

Long weekend in VT

We decided to scout out a destination within 5 hours driving distance from Ottawa.  Burlington, VT was recommended to us by my parents, and so off we went.

Knowing that a four hour drive with a baby could likely turn into an 8 hour drive, we decided to leave first thing in the morning after Simon had his breakfast.

We got 2 hours of driving in with a sleeping baby in the back and then broke for lunch under wind turbines somewhere in NY state.  So there we were.  Having a picnic on the side of the road, three of us huddled on two receiving blankets, Simon adding grass accoutrements to his mashed peas, Fisher Price toys singing in the background and our little family venturing out of our comfort zone for the first time.

We checked into our beautiful resort, did some shopping, and then got ready for dinner.  We decided to try the pub at our resort, (it is actually a culinary resort and spa) and we were not disappointed!  However, we could have done without Simon "finding his voice" during dinner and shrieking in 5 second intervals.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm looking forward to the day when I can have a meal in public without a baby on my boob, leaving me with only one free hand to eat. 

We enjoyed the following day in Burlington at the Farmers Market, Church Street and by the lake and then headed back to our hotel for the bonfire and a cold one before calling it a night.












Travelling with kids is possible
(and dare I say fun) as long as you have realistic expectations. 








Amy

Shoo fly, don't bother me

My sister, Simon and I braved the elements and went on a little nature walk today in search of the "rare red trillium" in the Mer Bleue bog.  You find things to do, that normally, you would have no interest in doing, when you're at home all day.  Anyone about to go on mat leave doesn't understand it.  Anyone on mat leave, totally gets it.  Ya feel me, girlfriend?  You know what's up.

So, off we go in the pouring rain, trying to avoid serial killers and dangerous wildlife, in search of a potentially fictitious flower, and, nothing.  All we had to show for our troubles was mosquito bites, mascara meltdown and a soaker.  Ah well... better than staying at home, I suppose!

Simon at Mer Bleue, removed from his stroller for a photo op

Simon was spared from bug bites because of this nifty little thing that snapped over his stroller by Jolly Jumper:  http://www.amazon.ca/Jolly-Jumper-Insect-Strollers-Bassinets/dp/B002FIQ7I4

Easy to use, compact, and runs about $8.  Worthwhile investment.

Amy

I have an 8 month old... when did that happen?!?

It's 7:05pm.  I've just put Simon down to bed for the night and I can't believe that 8 months has already passed.  I'm really a mum !  I'm totally doing it!  Sometimes I forget that I'm a mum.  When my husband and I are in front of the tv, watching "our shows", everything feels normal, and as it has felt for the last 5 years.  Then I catch a glimpse of the baby monitor light, the toy box, or my "jiggly bits" and I remember that I'm an actual mum.

There is a little tiny person upstairs who is depending on me for everything.  Sometimes I have a little laugh to myself, like, "I'm totally a grown-up", other times, a little cry, because it's completely scary!

Simon, 18 days old

Everyone told me that the first year flies by so quickly.  It sounded too cliché to be true, but I truly can't believe that this time last year, I had the biggest cankles known to man, and I was converting my spare room into a nursery.

I hope my experiences encourage, assure and humour you !

Amy