Forgot the Bug Repellent? Doctor Burt's Res-Q Ointment

Well, its not so much that I forgot the bug repellent, as I just did not think I would need it to go sit by the pool with the kiddos for 15 minutes. 15 minutes later, I re-entered the house with 13 mosquito bites-quite itchy!!

I spent a bit of time reading earlier this summer on how to make your own bug repellent. It looks pretty easy, and eventually more economical, but given that I was leaving town and scrambling to pull things together with as little investment as possible, I caved and bought the California Baby Bug Repellant, which I've read several good reviews on. Next summer I am excited to try making my own, but for this year, hopefully I can stretch one bottle through the summer. Since there is one month left, my chances are good. :)

However, having forgotten to apply it before going down to the pool, I was left miserably itchy, trying to make dinner. In my earlier research, I came across Burt's Bees Doctor Burt's Res-Q Ointment (in the little green tin) as a more natural alternative to benadryl cream. As it turned out, I had Res-Q Ointment on hand, and not benadryl, making the choice easy! I have to say, I think it works better than benadryl creams ever did! Five minutes after application I was itch free, and I still am, 4 hours later. Maybe Georgia mosquitos are a weaker breed than the ones in Michigan, but I am very impressed with how well this worked and will be keeping it on hand for our new Georgia home.

Why High Fructose Corn Syrup IS Bad

Have you seen these? Maybe not. When I saw this, I was savvy enough to know that High Fructose Corn Syrup IS bad for me and my kids. But why? That, I did not know. I should, but as with a lot of my health education, I know what to avoid, what to use, how to best use many things, and that is what I know. Most of the why's I have left up to people that I trust. Thankfully, WAPF (Weston A. Price Foundation) addressed High Fructose Corn Syrup in their Spring issue of Wise Traditions. Here is the quick version of why HFCS is bad for you. If you want to see the full article with the slightly more complicated science, or why they do not like Agave Nectar either, go visit their website. They have several articles about both. But for now :)

1. HFCS is more likely to cuase weight gain.
2. It is in a LOT of food, and therefor challenging to use in the advised "moderation".
3. Almost half of tested samples of HFCS also contain mercury!!!
4. HFCS can lead to mineral losses.
5. It can elevate blood pressure.
6. Reduced "cognitive function" in rats. (Seriously, I need all of the "cognitive function" I can get!)

Okay, this is a pretty brief and very basic list. For me, its enough. If you want to see the science and the studies leading up to some of the statements here, and more (I left A LOT out) go check out WAPF. They are loaded with info on bad things. :)

Kids sit still for free food-maybe?

So, I usually try to post an amazing or simple recipe on Saturdays. But, since life happens-affordable ways to eat out are good to know, too. It turns out, the more kids that come along, the less you eat out. Forget getting all of them to sit still for an entire meal, just paying for them to eat is tricky-ridiculous. We used to stuff them full of cheese and apples and then just let them eat french fries. Which sort of worked. It is clearly not the healthiest option. However, my wonderful husband came across an amazing list today. This post has a list of where kids can eat free or for $1 on different days of the week. Some are local restaurants, but others are nationwide chains, like Applebees and Red Robin! It is worth checking out!

Or check out this site which allows you to search according to your zipcode and the day of the week. :)

So, once you make it to the restaurant, you are still stuck with keeping children still. A great way to do this-keep a magna doodle or two in the diaper bag! Go to family friendly restaurants where they have coloring books and crayons. After those run out, here are a few other ideas from Parenting Magazine's Melody Warnick:

• Something's Missing: Dump out a few objects from your purse and let your kids study them for a a minute or two. Ask him to close his eyes, then remove on the the objects. See if he can figure out what disappeared. Then let him have a turn stumping you.
• Food Mystery: Play "What did I eat today?" by giving your child one clue at a time: "I ate something green. I at something round. I at something that comes in a bunch." Once you guesses that you noshed on grapes, its his turn.
• Rock the Vote: Have your kid give a thumbs-up or -down as you name different food, TV shows, or activities. You may be surprised to learn what he loves (and hates).

Of course, if you are really brave, you could pull out phonics flash cards or something educational. Or bring that chapter book you keep trying to get through with the kiddos. (We just got Charlotte's Web from Paperbackswap! I am soo excited to read it.)

Product Review: Baby Bjorn Carrier

I have to say, I did not start out to own a Baby Bjorn. 5 weeks after Emily was born, my husband encouraged me to use some of the generous baby gift money to buy a plane ticket and take my first little baby to Michigan to meet her grandpa, and other great grandparents, and uncles. However, to get a first time mom and a very tiny, hm, my babies have never been tiny-small. To get a first time mom, a small baby and all of the baby equipment a first time mom faithfully carts everywhere through security and on and off two planes and then into a car on the other side. Plan of action: take a bit of gift money to Babies-R-Us and get a baby carrier, just simple, efficient one. Nothing fancy. I was all set to go for the lower end.

Unfortunately, this is one of the things I like about stores like Babies-R-Us and Segals-they have several options available to try out before purchasing one. A sales lady came up and had us try on several with Emily. Blast! I really liked the Baby Bjorn Carrier. It was significantly more comfortable than the others. So the sales lady tells us how wonderful it is and why. This was 4 years ago, so I do not remember what she said, but I liked the carrier. Then, she tells us that they do not have them in stock and we would have to go to Target to get one. Seriously? She tells us how wonderful this carrier is, which maybe she is just selling a product, but she is sending me somewhere else to buy it? Hm.

Okay, so I ended up at Target buying the basic Baby Bjorn carrier, four years ago before I knew about the wonders of Craigslist. But, it worked wonderfully for the airport. Emily did a great job and we managed the 5+ hours of flight time quite well. Okay, summary time: :)

Con's:

• $$ ($80+) less than an ergo and many other carriers, but for the style of carrier, it is spendier, especially if you go for one of the other variations-however, it is often available on craigslist
• not compact to carry, not like it takes up a ton of room, but you cannot mash it or fold it and tuck it in a diaper bag, like a moby wrap or a pocket sling

Pro's:

• very comfortable for a small baby, works for about a year, but it does get a little less comfortable as the baby gets bigger, I still use it for Lucy for shopping (she's 9 months, maybe about 17-20 lbs?) it works great for shopping, but I would not choose if for hiking if I had other options
  
• very easy to learn how to use, quick to put on and take off
• easy to put a sleeping baby onto a bed
• comes in lots of pretty colors, some cost more
• easy and sufficiently manly for daddy to use (or easy for a babysitter or other caregiver)
  

I like using this one. While I prefer the Moby Wrap for most use, I did use this one a lot while I was learning how to use the Moby and while Lucy was getting used to a carrier. She was a little particular about when they should be used. I used to laugh at our first Bradley class teacher when she referred to her Baby Bjorn as her "back-up carrier", but now I understand. I am glad I have it, but if I had to choose just one carrier, this would not be it. That being sad, I would be very sad to part with it.

Dinner for a Rough Day

As I waded through the grumpy post nap kiddos, I realized that not only was the meat for dinner still partially frozen, the back-up plan for that meat required the beans to have been cooking all day. Okay, no big deal. I will just call Gabe and asked him to pick up canned beans on the way home. Well, I called and left a message. When he thoughtfully called back, I could not hear anything he said as all of the children were screaming. Finally, some words broke through "do you want me to just pick up some dinner?" What kind of a question is that?

Dear husband had signed up for Ruby Tuesday's e-mail list. They periodically send out bogo coupons. So, the kids finished the leftovers and went to bed. And Gabe ran two minutes around the corner and got dinner. And it was good. And quiet. And good. And, well, quiet. Plus, it did not leave me with additional clean up, giving me a few more minutes to try and catch up on other details, or just rest.

I really try to avoid asking Gabe to pick-up dinner on the way home, or even grab something once the kids are in bed (a great in-house date idea, though, if babysitters are difficult to come by.) However, he is very generous in offering them when I have had a rough day. In fact, since little person #2 showed up, these days are more frequent and I have tried to prepare for them. In addition to having meals in the freezer or Trader Joe specials, getting these coupons in the mail or e-mail is one way to make rough day meals more feasible. I also try to keep things on hand for grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Well, I am off to squeeze in a relaxing bath as Lucy is actually asleep when she is supposed to be this evening. Any suggestions for a baby that sits up the second she is remotely awake? Or feels she does not need to be asleep?

Oh, I actually meant to plug Ruby's a little more, we have been very impressed with their TueGo service. Some places pull this off poorly, but Ruby's goes on the list of places that pull it off quite well.

Product Review: Moby Wrap

I love love love love love love my Moby Wrap. Granted, I do love all of my baby carriers, which is why they are still in the house. But I am quite fond of this one, and although it is probably not my first choice for taking all three kids shopping, I have used it for that and will do so in the future. Why is it not my first choice? Well, honestly, it is not the time factor. It is that I have yet to master putting it on in a way that does not drag the ends through abundant puddles. :p

You really have to see it to understand, and it is possible that you have seen one already, if you obsessively pay attention to baby products like I do. Otherwise, you may have missed it. A moby wrap is essentially a long peice of comfortable fabric that you wrap around yourself and then tuck baby in, safely and secure next to mommy, or daddy. Here is the summary of pro's and con's:

Con's:

• "steep learning curve" meaning, it takes a bit of practice to get it on easily, although once you have it down, I would argue that it does not take much more, if any, time than another carrier
• drag factor, when putting on outside, you do have to watch for puddles
• it does eventually stretch, but pops back into place when you run it through the washer and dryer
• not likely to be simply handed off to another care-giver to use (maybe this is a pro?)
• cost-if you buy it new, it is around $40 (this might also be a pro becuase for the amount of support it gives, this is a reasonable price, to be honest, plus it is easy to find on Craigslist.)
• it claims to be useable for children up to 40 lb's, I have not tried it with my older children yet, so I can not verify this (making this possibly a pro, but I do not know)
  

Pro's:

• lots of beautiful color options
• many options! can use baby facing mommy on front, baby facing out on front, baby on back, both newborn twins in front, nursing, cradle-similar to sling, kangroo time, etc.
• easy to nurse discretely while wearing, and helps support baby-mommy feats of greatness-I nursed while hiking wearing this, and while it was a little harder on my back than sitting on my couch to nurse, it was totally doable!! And I did not have to slow anyone down to wait while I feed Lucy
• I used this one in church to get Lucy to sleep, not only is she held close to my body, unlike other carriers where I have to place a blanket over my parrot-baby's head, I was able to tuck her head into the carrier making it difficult for her to move, bring the other side around to block her eyes (making sure it was still open enough for air movement!!) and she was off to sleep in minutes-priceless!
• it is amazingly easy to wash-it does not distort any of the material going through the washer or dryer, it only puts it back into its original condition
• becuase you are in charge of arranging the material, it can cover as much of your shoulders and back as you want, meaning it can be more similar to a traditional carrier, either way, it provides a lot of support to a tired mommy back, giving another reason to be one of my favorite carriers
• very compact to transport, comes with a little sack that fits easily into most diaper bags

As with most baby things, it is important to evaluate what you are likely to use things for, what your specific needs are. Unfortunately, this is not information most people can for you, nor is it honestly something most moms know right away. I am on my third and still figuring these things out. :) But I have a lot of fun trying different options.

Product Review: Honest Kids Juice

Um, yes, I realize this is more of a food than a product, but even so, I am VERY excited about this new find! We found Honest Kids Juice first at New Seasons for a special road trip treat. But then, we found them at Costco!! 18 pouches for $6.99 (I think, I will double check next trip.) As far as I am concerned, they have no cons. Okay, maybe the disposable little packages, but upon glancing at their website they want you to recycle them so they can make bags and school supplies out of the pouches and they will donate $.02/pouch recycled to a school or organization of your choice. Hm. Here are some of the pro's:

• At Costco, a reasonable price for an organic juice box
• 10g of sugar per pouch (!!! YES! That is all. Less than a serving of plain yogurt!)
• no high fructose corn syrup
• yummy flavors
  
• great for bribes, rewards or just a special treat (I like to use ours for story time, I am reading the kids Little House in the Big Woods, which does not have as many pictures as they prefer, but if they have their juice in hand, they sit still and listen well. And I do not have to fight them. Maybe not the best precedent but we all enjoy the time.)
  

Product Review: Bumkin Bib

Again, a wonderful gift from Grandma! When Joe turned 1, Grandma got him two of these bibs. And he lived in them. I just visited the Bumkins website. It was a very dangerous thing to do-they have art smocks! and so many useful and good quality products. We have had these bibs for a little over a year and a half, and so far so good. No tears, stains or other problems. It is really easy to wash, you can hand wash it at the sink with dish soap, or just throw it in the wash with other laundry and hang dry. (Guess which one I do.)

We have the "Junior Bib", which has short sleeves, meaning it keeps the shoulders clean. You know, for that child who is in the middle of eating steamed carrot or spaghetti and has an orange face and chin, and turns his head to see why big sister is running through the room. Never happens at my house. :) They come in a variety of adorable patterns and styles. If you do not want a bib that is quite so tenty (however, if your baby is truly eating, I think you do want the tenty bib) they have other options. (I feel I should plug Ikeas's 2/$4 bib with long sleeves and a pocket here as the best bib deal I have found. However, these are too big for little babies like Lucy.)

Important info to note from the website:

• machine washable
• odor resistant material
• bpa, pthalate, pvc and vinyl free (pvc may contain lead! it is a common material for bibs)
• waterproof (it truly is! Joe ate probably close to half of a watermelon wearing it-there was watermelon water everywhere, but not under the bib. I think there was an entire pond in the pocket of the bib.)

Also worth noting, very easy to smoosh into a diaper bag without taking up space. :) You can buy these at Bumkins website, or many other places on line, but it is worth noting that a local baby company, Babyworks has a great price on all three of the basic bib styles.

Flip-Flop Season, Well, In Georgia, Anyway

It might be a little early to post this, but, since I just dragged my three kids to the mall in search of good children's flip-flops, here it is:

The Children's Place has the best deal I have been able to find for both children's flip-flops and sunglasses. Both are $3.50 for one pair, or $5 for two pairs. And that is the beginning of the season price. I think we got Joe some at the end of June for $1.50 last year.

The flip-flops are fun, colorful and have elastic around the heel. If you are looking for a pair of shoes to hand on from child to child, this is not it. However, if you are looking for a well-priced pair of shoes that you can wear almost everywhere all summer long and toss at the end of the season-this is it. The kids lived in theirs all summer last year. It looks like they are going for a repeat, as Emily tried to wear them for naps and bedtime yesterday. By the end of the summer, Emily's elastic had lost its zing. It did not affect her ability to wear them. And honestly, they looked like they had been lived in for five months. It was time to part with them. So, they are not perfect, but the price sure is nice. Oh! And they are light weight, too. For smaller children, this is an important detail.

And for the sunglasses, just your basics. Cute patterns, different sizes and styles. But no Spiderman or Dora sunglasses here. If this is a negative, then go to Target. But these are a much better price and cute. They have both boy and girl styles.

Both of these are worth the trek to the mall for me. Even though our mall here does not even have an indoor playground. What were they thinking?

Product Review: Munchkin Fresh Food Eater

I contemplated these with Emily, by Joe I knew that I wanted to avoid plastics as much as possible and these really did not seem necessary, but, while trying to find some baby spoons the other day, I saw these at the store. And the label said BPA free. Even better, it is mommy hands-free. You set it up and let them go at it. Well, as it turns out, at this stage, that means playing the drop it on the floor game. Thankfully, Lucy has a fan club that is excited for a reason to get out of their own seats to help the poor baby sister. Here is what the Munchkin website says:

All the nutrition with none of the risk.

This award-winning product allows your baby to enjoy lots of delicious foods without the choking risk. Simply put a piece of fruit, vegetables or meat into the mesh bag and snap shut. Your baby can chew, suck and enjoy all the whole food goodness and taste, with only the tiniest, digestible pieces coming through. Your baby gets great flavor and you get great peace of mind!



A mommy reviewer on the site had the idea of putting ice chips in for a teething baby. I seem to remember reading that frozen is not so good for baby gums, but I remember that teething is one of those periods that stretches my mothering principles. And, since ice cubes alone are too slippery to hold, this could be a cool idea. Or, maybe the slippery cube distraction was the only benefit?

Pro's:

• Mommy hands-free
• Baby likes to chew on all sides (could be a con?)
  
• Colorful
• Mostly easy to clean (dishwasher safe)
• Really does let mushy food through well

Con's:

• Falls on the floor
• Have to use with mushy foods (not necessarily a con, but does limit the options and is worth considering)

In summary, cool idea, and I hope it will be useful as Lucy figures it out. (She is still mostly enjoying chewing on the handle and dropping it on the floor.) However, it is by no means necessary. And, as a caution, don't forget to let sweet babies pick up tiny bits of food as they get older. It is a helpful way to develop those fine motor skills, when developmentally appropriate. :) Also, while it is BPA free, it is still plastic.

The Ultimate Evil Plastic Resource

This is really amazing. I am just starting to look around at the different options, but I am always really excited to find a pretty thorough listing of products and what to use and what to avoid. Go check it out at ZRecs Guide. I especially like the confidence rating. As with all things, do your own thinking, but so far, I have appreciated their insight and agreed with what I have found.

Product Review: Crayola Twistables Slick Stix

I think we have finally recovered from the flu. I might need to start spraying Gabe down with lysol at the door. He never gets sick. He has been sick twice in the last week. Maybe we just need to adjust to a different germ zone. Note to self: next time the stomach flu is looming, pick kid movies fro the library that I do not mind watching over and over. Bob the Builder got old pretty quickly. Oh well. Anyway, I found myself very busy trying to keep up on the laundry and keep everybody happy, and well, not throwing up. Hopefully, everyone is well on their way to better.


My mom sweetly sent us a package with goodies for the kids. Mostly stuff to make valentines to send to people, particularly great-grandparents. She knows me very well. One of the goodies was Crayola Twistable Slick Stix. I have to be honest. My first thought was, "Mom. Sweet thought, but what were you thinking?" At first glance, they look messy, a bit tricky for toddlers, and did I mention messy?

They ended up working really well. The kids loved them.

Pro's:

• Easy to use, although probably for slightly older kids. 4 is probably perfect.
• The colors and textures were very appealing.
• Although the label does not say washable, I did not have trouble getting it off the table and floor.
  
• Less messy than oil pastels, but similar texture, with vibrant color.
• Perfect addition to an easel-great and colorful kind of like paint, but minus the mess and do not need caps put back on quickly like markers (a skill we are working on, but still lacking.
  

Con's:

• I think 3 might be a little young, Emily twisted too much and it fell off, causing emotional trauma. It was pretty easy to stick back on (although a little messy) but I had to push and twist it back in, it did not just twist back in.
• They left out purple. I do not know what they were thinking.
• "Product containes colorants that may stain."

As with all things, requires some supervision, but not all on crazy preparation and supervision that paint would, but a different and exciting enough experience for kiddos that they do not notice that is not quite as tricky as paint. Good call, Grandma.

Tea For Kiddos

I love when my mom visits! She gets my sweeties eating things I would never think of trying to feed them. Like coconut oil just on a spoon. And tea. She got my kids hooked on tea the last time she was here. It turns out to be an economical and healthier option to juice. Yes, sometimes I add honey, but sometimes I add coconut oil, too. Anyway, it is really easy to make up a pitcher and keep it in the fridge. When someone is sick, it is pretty easy to sneak in a cold tea, or echinacea tea. Or, I found this yummy yummy Raspberry Infusion Tea at Trader Joe's. (Yes, I know the picture is backwards, but that's the way it came through photo booth and I think its pretty funny. :) It makes a delicious treat for both mommies and kiddos.