Awesome Gifts for Expectant Parents

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If you are anywhere in the 25-40 age range, chances are, you get invited to a fair number of baby showers.  For a while, it seemed like we had a wedding invitation for every weekend of the year, but now, those have definitely morphed into baby showers.

While my first advice is always to get something off the registry, (They picked it out.  They obviously need it and want it!) some people don't like using registries.  Or maybe you just want a more personal gift.  Or the store they registered at is not in your town and you don't have time to order online.  Whatever the case, here are some great ideas for baby gifts that I have either given or received and loved!

Nursing Survival Kit

One of my friends gave this to me, and we have given it to several others since then.  If you know the mom-to-be is planning on breastfeeding, put together a basket of things she might need.  You could include:

Nursing Cover, Nursing Pads, and Lanolin for the basic needs.

      

Energy bars, a cute water cup, and a small book to make mama smile.

          

Nursing tank and burp cloths to make nursing a little easier!

       

Of course, several of those would make great gifts by themselves, but put a couple of those in a cute basket and you have a really memorable and useful present!  This is a good one for a group or hostess gift, because the more you put in there, the cuter it will be!

Fleece Nose Wipes

This may seem like a weird gift, so let me explain.  When I was pregnant, my mom gave me a bunch of cute fleece squares she had cut out for me to use as cloth baby wipes.  However, once I had Cricket, it became very obvious that they were no good as baby wipes because they didn't absorb liquid well.

I had all these cute little fleece squares sitting around, never been used, and I quickly figured out that they worked great as nose wipes for tiny, sensitive noses!  They are way softer than tissues, you can use them several times, and even toddlers can use them without tearing a hole in them every time they wipe their nose!  Two years later, we are still using them!

So here's what you do.  Get some cute fleece, like these.

  

Cut them into six inch squares, tie a dozen up in a pretty ribbon and give them along with a note saying what they are for.  No need to sew because fleece doesn't fray.  Easy, cute, and unique!  It is a great thing to keep on hand for last minute gifts!

Little Remedies Box

My sister gave this to me when I was pregnant, and I am STILL using some of the stuff in it!  This is a collection of Little Remedies products for babies and young children, like gripe water, eucalyptus rub, saline nose spray, etc.  It's great, and any new parent will greatly appreciate it!

Books

Ok, y'all knew this was coming right?  No way am I not going to talk about books.  At my baby shower, my hostess put in the invitation a request for guests to sign their name in a board book instead of a greeting card.  They are the same price or even cheaper than a card, and they are way more useful!  Plus, it is so fun to read books to Cricket and get to tell her who gave each one to her.

One of Brian's long time family friends sent us Pat the Bunny when I was pregnant, along with a list of several dozen books that she recommended or that her children had loved growing up.  What a great idea!  I made notes of a bunch of them to get as soon as I could!

I love to give books, so often I will give several of my favorites as a way to start the child's library.  This one is always in the group.

  

Whether you give a stack or just one, you can never go wrong with books!

Name Bands for Sippy Cups

I don't know if y'all have seen these, but they are rubber bracelet-looking things that go around bottles and sippy cups to label them.  The idea is that they are washable, so you don't have to take them off, and they aren't adhesive, so you don't have a gooey mess after a couple of weeks.  There are several different kinds.  The original ones are actually debossed with your child's name.  (You could also add other information like allergy alerts, phone numbers, etc.)

    

Or you could get one of these that you just write on with a permanent marker.  Either way, these are a fun and unique but practical gift that any parent will appreciate.

   

House Cleaning

I don't have a link to this, because it's more of a local thing, but it's worth mentioning.  One of my favorite gifts for friends who are about to have a baby is to pay someone to come clean their house while they are in the hospital.  That way they come home to a sparkling house and no chores to worry about!  This would be a good hostess gift or group gift, as well.

A bonus to this is that if you have friends who clean houses as a job, you are helping them out as well!  If you don't know anyone who cleans houses, you can ask your friends on Facebook for local recommendations or hire a professional service, although that will obviously be more costly.  Just make sure that this is something the expecting parents will enjoy or someone they know, since some people are hesitant to let strangers in their house for obvious reasons.  When in doubt, ask ahead of time on this one.

Closet Organizers and Hangers

This is my go-to gift right now.  I stumbled upon the realization that Amazon has literally dozens of designer closet organizers.  This is awesome because you can find some to match just about any nursery theme!  (I have been known to stalk pictures on Facebook to figure out which colors and designs will match!)  They are a decent price, too!

Closet organizers are super handy because you always end up with clothes in four or five different sizes, and this helps you keep them organized so you don't end up finding an outfit that your baby never got to wear because you didn't realize it was his size four months ago!

      

Pair them with some matching baby hangers and you have a sweet and thoughtful gift that they won't want to return!

 

I hope this gives you some good ideas for baby gifts!  What about you?  What are your favorite go-to gifts for baby showers?

Awesome Books for Babies and Toddlers

I did a post a while back about great books to read aloud, and I wanted to follow that up with a list of books that Cricket has really loved.  Most of them are board books because she can easily and safely turn the pages, and because I love the idea of her having access to books any time she wants.

Sandra Boynton Books

If you haven't heard of Sandra Boynton yet, you need to go find one of her books immediately.  They have adorable pictures and funny lines that will make even the adults in the room giggle.  Our favorites are Moo, Baa, Lalala, which teaches animal sounds; Happy Hippo, Angry Duck, which does a great job of introducing emotions; Snuggle Puppy, a fun and silly baby love song; and Pajama Time, great for singing when they're getting ready for bed.  There are tons of other great ones, too.

Mini Masters Series

These are one of my favorite baby finds ever.  They are board books that use paintings from the masters for pictures, along with cute rhymes that tie them together.  My sister got me started on these by giving Cricket Dancing with Degas, which she loves.  I have since gotten A Picnic with Monet and In the Garden with Van Gough, both of which are also awesome.  They're not expensive, and what a great way to introduce great art to children at a young age!

Baby Faces

I think all babies toddlers go through a phase when they just absolutely love pictures, especially of other babies.  I don't really know why, but maybe they just feel like they can relate.  We got this book through the Reach out and Read Program at our pediatrician's office.

I have to stop a minute and tell you about this program.  It is so great.  It's a non profit organization that provides books to children through their pediatricians.  Every time we go for a well visit, Cricket gets a new book that is geared exactly for her age.  These books always end up becoming the new favorites.  The program also works with doctors to incorporate advice on reading together as a family into your check ups, which as a teacher I love because reading to your children when they are young is the single greatest advantage you can give them academically.  No amount of Baby Einstein videos or V-Tech toys have been directly linked to later academic achievement like daily reading to your child.  I love that my pediatrician considers this as important as other aspects of healthy child development.

Ok, tiny rant there.  Anyway, books with real pictures of babies are awesome, and Cricket loves them.

Pride and Prejudice

I am totally in love with this book, and the whole Cozy Classics series.  First of all, the pictures are photographs of elaborately constructed scenes using needle-felted characters.  Needle felting!  How cool is that!?  And they look amazing!  Each picture is accompanied by a single word, and yet somehow, the basic story is totally in there!  The great part about just having one word on each page is that Cricket pretty much has it memorized by now, and it gives a lot of freedom for us to talk about the pictures as she points out different things.  They have a whole series of these, and I'd love to get some more.  They even have Emma coming soon!

Dr. Seuss Board Books

You can't talk about kids' books without talking about Dr. Seuss!  A lot of his regular books have been adapted to the shorter, more sturdy "Bright and Early Board Book" series.  Cricket's favorite is Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, which reads like a chant and is very fun, until you get to the end and are reminded creepily of Planet of the Apes.  She also loves The Foot Book and The Eye Book, which are not my favorite 'cause I feel like he pretty much just rhymed random words, but whatever.  She likes them.

My First Picture Album

 

Cricket's Grandma got this book for her for Christmas, and it is just the best thing ever.  It's a soft fabric book with clear plastic pockets that you can put pictures in.  The pictures are protected and she gets to look at them as much as she wants, which is great, because like I said, she is obsessed with pictures and would read my Shutterfly albums all day if I let her!

One of the coolest things about this book is that you can change out the pictures whenever you want to, and it's like a completely different book!  I actually want to get a couple more of this style book so I can make one book of her friends and one of the rest of the family I couldn't fit into the first one!


I'm sure there are lots of other books that Cricket is into right now.  It seems like she's always got a book in her hand!  What books do your little ones love right now?

Task-Oriented and Toddler-Oriented

If there is one thing that would help you get to know me, it's the fact that I am a task-oriented person, not a people-oriented person.  This one tiny fact can help you understand so much about why I do what I do.  I mean, of course, I like people.

Well, I like some people.

I like you.  You're cool.

And of course, I am always trying to get better at focusing more on people than tasks.

For example, if I ever get snippy, impatient, or bossy, check to see if I'm trying to get something done.  Usually, that's it.  (Or I might be hungry.  That's it sometimes, too.)

Not that I use this as an excuse.  I am always working to moderate this side of me, but it is a natural part of who I am.  A people-person would rather sit and chat with someone for hours and leave their kitchen half-cleaned, or their laundry half-folded, or their Facebook half-checked.  That's just who they are.  It's wrong, but it's who they are.

I'm kidding.

Mostly.

Having a toddler around has recently thrown my task-oriented self for a huge loop.  I get really frustrated when I start something and then get interrupted.  It's like a part of my brain just shuts down and ignores everything else until it's finished.

But obviously I can't do that with a toddler.  Everything is interrupted when there's a toddler around.  And you can't really blame them.  They need help with just about everything, even in our house, where we've really tried to give her as much independence and access as possible.

So I've been working on coping mechanisms.  They're  not perfect, but they are the result of over a year of relearning how to do just about everything.  And in the spirit of the article, I will interrupt what I am trying to say periodically with pictures of Cricket trying to distract you.

1)  Make Tiny Tasks

Don't try to tackle an entire project.  Break it up into smaller pieces and focus on completing one of those.

Instead of trying to empty the whole dishwasher, I just try to empty the silverware.  Then the top tray.  Then the bottom tray.  Three separate goals for three separate times.

If I'm trying to prepare for a meal or make something during the day, I just do one step at a time.  I might chop onions, and then go push Cricket on the swing.  Later, I'll come back and wash all the potatoes, then leave and change a diaper.  I might boil the pasta, put it in the fridge, and then go read books to Cricket.

It's not just in the kitchen, either.  I might upload pictures from my camera in one sitting, go through and edit them in another, and then upload them to Facebook in a third.  (I don't have an iPhone.)

Or, instead of cleaning the entire bathroom at one time, I might only clean the sink.  Then later, or even the next day, I might clean the toilet.  Then later, the floors, etc.

Sometimes I even prep during nap time things that I can't do until she wakes up, like putting things in the food processor but waiting to turn it on.

If I think of each step as an individual task, it makes it much easier for me to break things up throughout the day.

2)  Prioritize

I plan my day in terms of what I call "time units."  My time units right now are basically broken down into five parts:  Before She Wakes Up, Morning, Nap Time, Afternoon, After Her Bedtime.  I prioritize what I do, not just by what is most important, but by what it is most important to get done during that time period.  For example, she's a light sleeper, so I save quiet things like folding laundry for nap time, and do things like washing dishes in the morning when she is content to play independently.

This prioritizing by time units helps me get the most out of the day and not feel like I'm spinning my wheels trying to do things that I can't seem to finish.

Well, not feel as much like that, anyway.

3)  Constantly tell yourself "My baby is more important."

This is self-explanatory, but worth including.  If I get really frustrated, this is my mantra.  Even if nothing at all gets done all day, I've played with Cricket, she's healthy, and she's cared for.  Mission Accomplished.

4)  Make lists

I know some people don't like lists, but they are my life-support system.  Because of our real food emphasis and my trying to save money by making stuff myself, I have a never ending list of things I need to do or make, like granola bars, cereal, chopping and freezing veggies, making bread, making bath salts, etc.  (That last one is not applicable to the real food part of the conversation.  I do not recommend eating bath salts.)

I also have a list pad on the fridge that is our running grocery list, so when we are out of something, or I think of something we need, I immediately write it down and don't have to remember in a week when I go shopping.

As a task-oriented person, lists help me feel in control.  I can point to my list and say, "Look what I have accomplished!  I have done things!"  I have even been known to add things to my daily to-do lists just so that I can cross them off and prove that I did stuff.  Hey, it works!

5)  Be realistic

I have slowly and painfully realized that I have new limitations now that I am chasing and being chased by a small person.  I've gotten to where I won't put more than about five things on my daily to-do list, because it's almost impossible for me to accomplish more than that.  I just had to adjust to a new normal, and that's ok.

If you are not a task-oriented person, first of all, you probably quit reading this a while ago because it doesn't apply to you, and because you don't feel the need to finish reading just out of obligation like the rest of us.  You also probably think I'm kind of crazy and very uptight.  While that may be, hopefully some of the things I've said ring true to a few people.

Right?

More Awesome Sensory Play

Here is a roundup of a bunch of little sensory activities we've done lately.

Gardening

Our library had an activity early in the summer where the kids could come help plant the flower bed around the building.  It was really cute.  They just had tons of flowers, plants, and shovels and the kids could plant them anywhere in the beds they wanted.

This was our first really hot summer outing, and Cricket was not all that happy about it.  She did enjoy playing with the shovel and the tag on the flower, and she pulled one of the flowers out of the ground three times before I finally moved her!

This was also the day I realized I needed to get some cheap shoes that I didn't mind her getting muddy.  Thank goodness for consignment sales!

Water Box

Before we got a pool or a water table, I filled a big Tupperware box with water for her to play in.  I put in a few bath toys and gave her the little watering can I'd gotten for her when we started our garden.

She had a great time.  She loves playing with water in any form.

Of course, eventually it all got poured out.  Just prepare yourself that this is going to happen.

Red Sensory Bin

Our latest sensory bin is focused on the color red.  I picked red because it is the first color in the spectrum and I am type-A.  Also, it was the only color she had said up to that point.

I basically just went through her room and got everything red I could find.

I even had a red basket from the Dollar Tree!  The little strawberry amigurumi from her Grandma was extra cute, too.  I also put in some linking rings, blocks, a bowl, a ball, a sweater, a paint chip card, and some miscellaneous pieces from different toys.

Honestly, at 15 months, Cricket was not really very into this one.  She explored it a little bit, but she lost interest quickly.  Still, it's something to remember and revisit when she's learning her colors later on.

Food Products

It's become a running joke with us now that I just give Cricket trash to play with.  Honestly, though, natural food makes great sensory material!  Corn husks and corn silk were fascinating to her.

One afternoon, I was chopping green peppers on the porch while she played and she asked to see some.  I gave her to tops that I had cut out and she played with them for a long time!  She loved the way the seeds fell off.  I didn't get any pictures of her playing with them, but I did get pictures of the aftermath on my porch!  The birds had a great time with all those seeds!

She loves it when I snap beans or shell peas.  She likes to put the ends of the beans in and out of the bowl.

Even the tops of celery stalks are endlessly entertaining for a toddler!

Paper Textures

I gathered as many different kinds of paper and sheets of material as I could find.  I used construction paper, printer paper, wax paper, tin foil, saran wrap, cardboard, card stock, and parchment paper.  (Of course, supervise at all times, as these are not all child-safe.)

She explored them and crumpled some of them up when I showed her how.

She definitely had some materials that she preferred and some she barely touched.  We talked about words to describe the different feelings and sounds they made.  I will probably do this one again because I feel like she would enjoy this activity more in a few months, too.

Contact Paper Window

This was a big hit.  We went for a walk in the back yard and gathered some natural objects that we could use.  I tried to focus on small, light things like grass, leaves, and flowers.  Then we came inside and I used masking tape to cover one section of our door with contact paper, sticky side out.

I showed her how to put the objects onto the window, and she was fascinated.  She liked taking them off and then giving them to me to put on again.  This would be a great one to do again in the fall when the leaves turn!

I hope this gives you some new ideas to try with your little one.  I'm sure I'll have more soon!

Awesome Summer Play Dates for Young Children

I am very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family so close to me.  At the beginning of this year, I decided to try putting together a playgroup of friends and family members who could meet once a week or so and form a kind of support network.

It's been awesome.  The Facebook group that we have includes a whole bunch of people now!  Sometimes we have big groups and sometimes just a few people come, but we always have a great time.  We meet at people's houses or at public places.  Indoors and outdoors.  It's a great thing to look forward to every week, and it's low pressure, so if you can't make it, no big deal.  If you can, great!

I thought I'd share some of the fun things we've done recently, in case someone wanted to do some of them for their playgroup.

Splash Pad

Splash pads are a relatively new phenomenon, and I so wish they had thought of these back when I was a kid.  Basically, you get to play in fountains and have water dumped on your head.  It's all the fun of water without all the drowning and horrible sanitation issues we try not to think about in a public pool.

Ours also has a section for younger kids that doesn't dump water on their heads.  This is perfect for Cricket and her friends, who are just getting used to being splashed and investigating water.  Downside: ours won't let you bring any toys.  They even made us put away the little plastic cup she was using to catch water with, for some reason.  Upside: plenty of picnic areas for lunches and hanging out, plus it's right next to a park.

Swimming

Swimming pools are a staple of summertime entertainment.  Our group is fortunate because we have several families who have their own pool or a neighborhood pool that we can visit.

It's great fun, especially in the Alabama heat, and the kids love it.

Berry Picking

We have done berry picking twice with our group.  At the beginning of the summer, we went strawberry picking.

It was really fun, the plants were low to the ground so they were accessible for the kids, and of course, everyone loved getting a bucket of berries!

In the middle of the summer, we went blueberry picking.

It was ok, but honestly, not as much fun this time around.  It was really hot by then and the bushes were much higher, so the kids had a hard time reaching them.  I'm still glad we went, but I would go first thing in the morning next time.

Pictured: An Unhappy Cricket

Backyard Fun

One of my favorite play dates was just having people over to the house.  We filled up the baby pool with water and balls.

We filled up another pool with cooked spaghetti, and of course, we had the water table and the swing.

We had a blast!  We didn't have a huge turn out because several families were out of town, but that just means we get to do it again soon!  The great thing about backyard playdates is that you can always go inside when you get tired or hot.

Art Museum

The Art Museum downtown has a great children's area.  It's big, it's air conditioned, and it's free, making it a great place to visit on super hot days (or rainy ones).  There were lots of things for the kids to do, from light tables to mask decoration to sensory displays.

They also had great books, puzzles, blocks, and computer games, including some games where you create a picture and then email it to yourself so you have a copy.  Here's one from Cricket and one of her friends:

Pretty cool, huh?

Children's Museum

We are so lucky to have such a great children's museum in our city.  It has a huge area just for kids 5 and under, where they can play in tunnels, use toys and books geared for their age, and even enjoy a huge water table!

They also have a big sea life exhibit, which the kiddos loved.

This one is a little pricier, but we used Groupons and there are coupons, memberships, and discounts floating around, too.

Parks

I think our group has canvased every park in a 25 mile radius.  Some are better than others, because of shade and fencing, but it's always fun to bring a picnic lunch and let the kids play.  Even the little ones love the swing.

Parks are usually a good middle point for people who live farther apart, and of course, they're free.

Library Activities

Just about every library has something going on for kids.  It's kind of their thing.  We have two or three libraries near us, and they all did great summer programs.

They did story times, crafts, puppet shows, jugglers, magic shows, reptile shows, and tons of other stuff.

It was geared for all different ages, so some of it we enjoyed more than others, but still, it was all free and it's in the air conditioning, which is all I need to hear on a 95 degree day!

Kids' Summer Movies

We actually didn't do this one, but it was always a back-up plan.  I haven't started letting Cricket watch television and movies yet, but once I do, the summer movies at the theater are gonna be a hit!  Most theaters have a program during the summer where they will show a recent kids' movie during the day for like, a dollar or two, sometimes even with a snack!  It's fun, easy, and cheap.  I like it.


Of course, we've done in-home playdates too, which are fun and very easy.  The kids love playing with toys that are new to them, and the little ones like Cricket are usually fascinated by watching the older ones.  Those are some of my favorite times, because we moms have a chance to actually talk, and let's be honest, that's really what these playgroups are all about, right?

How to Be Awesome at Sensory Play: Mashed Potato Paint

As Cricket has become more comfortable with different textures and sensory experiences, I've been trying some new things.  Last week I talked about how much she loved playing with the dry mashed potato flakes.  I saved them when she was finished, and that night, I tried making mashed potato paint!

All you do is add water to the potato flakes until they are whatever consistency you want.  If you want them to be able to paint with a brush, you would use more water than I did.  I wanted these to be more like finger paints.  Since we did this on July 5th, I was still in a patriotic mood, so I decided to dye them red, white, and blue.  Just a few drops of food coloring for the red and blue was all I needed.  

Of course, we did this in the tub since it was messy.  She did not dive in as quickly as she did with the dry flakes.

As a matter of fact, she was pretty skeptical of the whole thing.  Brian and I thought it was fun though.  It's a fun texture.

She did finally discover that she liked putting her feet into it.

She didn't mind when we put some on her, but she didn't do it voluntarily. 

You see that face?  That is the face of strained tolerance.

I think she was entertained watching us play with it more than anything.

Clean up was a breeze.  We just put as much of it as we could back in the bowls and then rinsed the rest off.  I think she will enjoy this one more when she is older, but it was at least another exposure to different sensory textures, smells, and colors, so I call it a win!