documenting the belly and the 3 week countdown left-to-dos

it's not that i hang out in the bathroom all the time, i just need to get a tripod and/or get over my camera shyness already. every time rob takes my picture for this blog i feel like a huge douchebag (do you guys feel that way, or do you all have tripods? what's the trick?). anyways, when i take my own pictures i can never seem to smile without looking like a scared douchebag, oh and always in the bathroom. super cool! but anyways, i wanted a real, honest-to-goodness belly shot and here's the best i could do. she's large!

the baby's corner of our bedroom is 90% complete which feels so nice to type out loud! just a couple of my mom's vintage baby dresses left to hang on the wall to spruce up the joint and then i'll share real pics. but here are some highlights...

otto's old baby toys and gifted baby toys laundered and ready for chubby hands

clearance valentine frames from target ($1.50 each whoot!) ready to be filled with sweet cooing baby pictures

basket of otto's old socks (were his feet ever that small?) plus gifted and thrifted socks laundered and ready for teeny perfect feet. i just remembered the curling foot reflex, ohhhh heart heart heart! i am actually starting to get past the panic and be excited for miss loretta to arrive.

a little diy decor thanks to a pompom garland tutorial by emily bilbrey which she guest posted at little big blog here. they aren't as scrappy looking in person, but when i do this again i will probably use about 30% more yarn. still, what a cute and free way to spruce up a baby's corner!

still to-do before little miss makes the scene:
- pack a bag for the birth center
- pack an Otto bag for the birth center (activities, snacks, jammies)
- install the baby seat in the van... it's thrown in there for now so rob can install it in a jam, but i'd like him to install it before the fact. it just seems like the "right" thing to do, although when i think about it, who cares? but whatever.
- clean the crap out of this house. it was fairly clean about a week ago but our week of ill plumbing sort of got us behind on laundry grrrrrrr about that! freaking grrrrrr!

omg is that it? it might be. wow. she's almost here and we're almost prepared. that's a pretty freaky thing to think about. then it'll be like, "hello! what do we do with you now? ack!" and we'll have this new person in our house. bizarre. but i'm excited to meet her. i wonder what she'll look like? i wonder who she'll be? it's the beginning of a new chapter. holy smokes.

xoxo,
lindsey

planning the nursery

baby girl should be here in 6 short weeks, holy lord! but we won't be able to do a nursery for her until we move into a bigger space this summer. in the meantime she gets part of a corner of our bedroom and i'm going to do what i can to make it a special corner, but without going overboard decorating since it's just temporary (i'm thinking paper bunting, do you hate that idea?). anyways, in the mean time, i'm starting to think of what i'd like her room to be like once we do move. here are some sweet ideas that i've been liking lately...

i actually bought these vintage look hangers on ebay tonight, they're exactly what i was looking for (except i was hoping to get actual vintage ones but i kept getting outbid - jerks). anyways, i do love them! and my mom recently gave me several vintage baby girl dresses from her childhood that i also wore when i was a baby. they are so delicate and beautiful that outside of a photo shoot i don't think i'll put our little girl in them for daily wear. but they would be so pretty hanging on her wall on these hangers!

who knows what the windows will be like, so it's pointless to do anything but "window shop" (yuck yuck) for now but i do love both of these options from Land of Nod. sidenote --> stupid Land of Nod that sends me their stupid awesome catalogue full of awesome stupid things i want but can't really afford on every freaking page! the ruffle curtains attacked me from their spring catalogue and they honestly aren't that expensive, plus they are just so classic and pretty.

a friend at work showed me these chairs today on amazon and i fell madly in love. word is, they are "cheap" knockoffs of famous chairs, but they are still out of my buy-it-now pricerange. still i am keeping them in mind for the little lady's room. they have such great color and energy ❤

this one is harder to show, but my parents are giving me an old family dresser that is kind of similar to this one. i'd love to refinish it in white or pale yellow and switch out the hardware for any of these that i found on anthropologie. le sigh! how i love these pulls! especially the one in the top left.

i've had this kind of craft hoop wall installation on my radar for almost a year now (i first posted about it here) and really really really want to finally go for it in baby's room. for those of you who read harper's happenings, mandy did a really awesome version of this in her little girl's room. l o v e!

soooooo... that's what i've got so far. most of it is pretty doable, depending on the space. well those chairs are kind of crazy expensive for plastic chairs, but i really do love them so we'll see. and how i hope we end up with hardwood floors! our current place is carpeted (even in the freaking kitchen, what?!!) and i am just not a fan at all. i love a good rug, but carpet grosses me out. so fingers crossed!

and in the mean time i'll tidy up baby's semi-corner, get the bunting up (unless you hate that idea, anyone? opinions?) and snap some pics of the temporary space really soon. it's not much, but it will be organized and hopefully at least a little charming.

xoxo,
lindsey

36-240-36

my husband is a technical wizard! he figured out that our internet wasn't uploading anything. which is why i thought picasa was being a d-bag yesterday. (a thousand apologies to picasa for ever doubting you.) then he fixed it tonight. hurray!

so anyways, baby bump in full effect. kachow!

so this post should more realistically be titled 36-240-50 but that sounded wayyyy less catchy. and there's nothing i can say about my outfit, hair, etc. soooo not proud! (in my defense it is mighty cold here and i can't button the buttons on my coat these days so it was squeeze-into-wool-sweater-or-freeze time on a lazy saturday when we really wanted to be outside enjoying the rare sunshine) in short --> don't judge. annnd anyway! this is just the only picture i have of the belly from the past month and my oh my how it's grown. egad i feel like a walrus lately. and the bootay is working hard to keep up with the belly. i think anyone who's ever been pregnant knows this feeling - just like feeling like your body is this big, alien thing all swollen and out of proportion and awkward. i'm not complaining, but that's honestly how i feel. but otherwise feeling really good these days. well, tired, but really pretty good...

8 weeks to go! omg omg omg omg omg. part of me can't wait and another part can't believe it'll be so soon.

it feels very unreal. i'm so excited and at the same time, way more scared this time than i ever was before Ot was born. life is about to get seriously shaken up!

xo,
Lindsey

25% off Coupon Code IntelliCeuticals & IntelliGender (Giveaway CLOSED)

This Giveaway, Coupon Code, and Review would be especially desirable for mamas-to-be, new mamas, trying-to-conceive mamas, and baby/toddler mamas...

A little history: The IntelliCeuticals and IntelliGender brands were founded by two moms in 2006 with the goal of providing high quality, fun, affordable pre-birth experiences for the expectant mother and healthy essentials for mom and baby. This includes an at-home urine-based gender prediction test (IntelliGender) that is 82% accurate, as well as healthy, natural remedies to help moms and babies feel their best (IntelliCeuticals).

IntelliCeuticals products:
- conceive-ease flower essence
- peace of mind flower essence
- elasti-oil
- nature's nipple prep
- baby's best milk drops
- episi-prep cream
- new mom rebalancing drops
- clear-away cradle cream
- harmonic baby massage oil

The Review:
I was given the opportunity to review IntelliCeuticals "harmonic baby aromatic massage oil" which retails for $19.50 (see code below for 25% off any order).

I've been a fan of the soothing benefits of baby massage since Ot was just a few weeks old. We joined a mommy group through the local birthing center (where Otto was born) and the doula who led the group taught us how to massage our wee ones from head to toe. Otto, from the get-go, has been a "foot man" and especially loves it when I spend extra time massaging the soles of his feet and toes.

The IntelliCeuticals massage oil has a really pleasant weight about it - not too heavy or slippery like a few oils we have tried - and smells amazing. The first ingredient is mandarin oil and you can smell the citrus flavor on top of other, earthy aromas. It smells like an orange grove in an evergreen forest where someone is brewing tea, mmmmmmm. I massaged Otto with a focus on his feet, like he likes, before his afternoon nap. I think we were both relaxed by the process and the smell. The oil worked its way into Otto's skin, leaving it soft and hydrated but not oily. Here's a picture of my mellow man post-massage; he's ready for his nap.

25% off IntelliCeuticals Coupon Code... How to Buy It: If you'd like to purchase IntelliCeuticals products right away, you can order directly from their website. When you check out, use the Coupon Code IC025 to receive the discount.

How to Win It: 1 winner will receive the Prize Package pictured to the right, valued at over $60! The prize package includes:

- 1 IntelliGender Gender Prediction Test
- 1 IntelliCeuticals Episi-Prep Cream
- 1 Gender Neutral Flannel Baby Blanket

Many Entry Opportunities (none of these is mandatory; pick and choose the modes of entry that you like, and enter as many times as you like!):

- Follow the newly launched IntelliGender Blog (3 entries)

- Follow IntelliGender on Twitter (2 entries)

- Leave a comment telling why you want to win this giveway (it's that easy)

- Follow TidbitsParenting via Google Friend Connect (if you already follow that counts too)

- Follow @OttosMomBlogs on Twitter (if you already follow that counts too)

- Tweet about this giveaway (your tweet should include link to this page and mention @Intelligender and @OttosMomBlogs). In your comment, put a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day / 1 per tweet / 30 min apart or more please)

- "Like" TidbitsParenting on Facebook (if you already like us that counts too)

- Grab the TidbitsParenting badge (on the right) and in your comment leave a link to your badged up blog homepage (3 bonus entries) (if you've already got the badge that counts too)

Please Note:Just remember to leave a comment for EACH entry. For example, if you follow the IntelliGender blog, since that's worth 3 bonus entries make sure you leave 3 comments for that.

Make sure that I can reach you if you win - via email or Twitter. I will contact the winner during the day on October 29 and they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or we will choose a different winner.

Giveaway will be closed for new entries at 11:59pm Pacific Time on October 28. Open to US & Canada. I will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest! Note: I was given a complimentary massage oil for review and was in no way compensated for hosting this giveaway. I want to sincerely thank IntelliGender / IntelliCeuticals for their generosity in providing the item for review and the prize package!

CONGRATS TO COMMENT #127 JONNIE YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE PRIZE PACK!

-Lindsey

We Have Christened the Potty Chair!

Today after work I was taking a shower and Ot was hanging out pantsless in the bathroom reading books and sitting on his potty chair (even at 20 months, it's like human nature: you take off your pants, you sit on the toilet, and you read)... Anyways, he kept pulling the shower curtain back and fidgeting to show/tell me he had to pee. He did this like 3 times. Each time I said, "you can sit down and go pee on your potty chair." Then I'd return to shaving 1/3 of a leg or trying to remember if I'd already shampooed my hair. So, I finish my awesome, relaxing, peaceful shower and step out and there's Ot-on-the-pot, reading a book and the little Bjorn potty "dish" (or whatever you call it) is full of pee!

Who knew pee could bring such joy!? Is it weird that for a moment I actually panicked thinking, "how am I going to save this wonderful pee forever?" That moment passed pretty quickly because I'm kinda weird but not completely bent.

Wow. Milestone. The lad is growing up. Almost 20 months and peeing in chairs and everything. Hard to believe just a year ago he was just this chubby little mushroom:

  -Lindsey

ps. For those of you who follow regularly, you might remember that Ot 1st peed in the real toilet at the end of July. It's been a "dry season" since, with no potty progress til today. But at that time quite a few mom-bloggers generously joined in to create a review of 9 (yes NINE) popular potty chairs. You can see that post here.

Win a Beautiful, Naturally Soothing Teething Necklace For Your Little Chomper (CLOSED)

Q. How excited am I?
A. Ummm, super excited!
Q. Why?
A. Because the awesome folks over at Tiny Birds Organic Baby have generously offered this beautiful Baltic Amber Teething Necklace to one lucky TidbitsParenting winner!

Why Baltic Amber? ... A little info about the analgesic properties (some excerpts from the Tiny Birds website):

- Amber is a fossilized resin, not a stone. It is therefore warm to the touch and light to wear
- When amber is worn on the skin, the skin's warmth releases miniscule amounts of healing oils from the amber which are then absorbed via the skin
- Amber's anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties are also recognized by allopathic medicine. In Austria, Switzerland and Germany, it is common to find amber teething necklaces sold in local pharmacies
- As with any product with small parts, this necklace should be used under direct supervision of an adult 

Wearing baltic amber close to the skin is a traditional European remedy for baby teething. Made from fossilized tree resin, leave the teething necklace in the sunshine to warm up and increase the natural analgesic power. Each teething bead is individually knotted and the necklace fastens with a screw clasp.

Only natural 100% authentic Baltic Amber is used to make Tiny Birds teething necklaces.

How to Buy It: If you just can't wait to get a soothing necklace for your little teething machine (aka baby) or to read a full product description and customer reviews, visit the Tiny Birds website.

How to Win It: 1 winner will receive the necklace pictured in the top pic and to the right, valued at $20!

Mandatory First Entry - visit Tiny Birds Organic Baby and then leave a comment here telling any other item you would love to take home from their huge selection: organic and all natural cloth diapering, mothering, nursing, BPA-free feeding, baby carriers, bath & bed, toys, organic clothing & shoes, and other products.

Additional Entry Opportunities:

- "Like" Tiny Birds Organic Baby on Facebook (3 bonus entries) (they do lots of promos and giveaways too so you'll be very glad you did)

- Blog about this giveaway. In your comment below make sure to put a link to your post (3 bonus entries)

- Follow TidbitsParenting via Google Friend Connect (if you already follow that counts too)

- Follow @OttosMomBlogs on Twitter (if you already follow that counts too)

- Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this page in your tweet. In your comment below make sure to put a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day - 1 per tweet - 30 mins apart or more please)

- "Like" TidbitsParenting on Facebook (if you already like us that counts too)

- Grab the TidbitsParenting badge (on the right) and in your comment leave a link to your badged up blog homepage (3 bonus entries) (if you've already got the badge that counts too)

Please Note:
Just remember to leave a comment for EACH entry. For example, if you follow Tiny Birds on Facebook since that's worth 3 bonus entries make sure you leave 3 comments for that.

Make sure that I can reach you if you win - via email or Twitter. We will contact the winner on October 1 and they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or we will choose a different winner.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on September 30. Open to US & Canada. We will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest! Also - I was in no way compensated for hosting this giveaway.

Congratulation to the winner of this giveaway with comment #17 Chrissyb! I'll be contacting you via email & twitter. Thanks to everyone for entering!

-Lindsey

Thrift Score!

Few things make me happier than scoring something really really super unique and awesome for Otto and paying, like, nothing for it. Twice recently we've gotten some amazing "thrift scores" and I just wanted to share.

We found this Ryan's Room fire station set at the Tucson new/used children's boutique, Lil' Traders.  It's in near-perfect condition and came with a firehouse, firetruck, 8 firefighters, and loads of furniture and accessories. It's almost entirely made of wood!

I looked it up online and had we purchased this new it would have cost about $150! Lil' Traders was selling the whole caboodle for $33 and we used trade credit to buy it so our out of pocket cost was $0.

$0 = Score!

My friend Kate, who is also a contributer to this blog, found this Radio Flyer Retro Rocket at the thrift store. It needed a spit-shine but is now in perfect condition including all the buttons for sounds, nifty thrifty! I looked it up online and had we purchased this new it would have cost about $50-70! Kate thrift scored it for $5 - hot damn!

$5 = Score!

What are your all-time favorite thrift scores? I have so many but these are my most recent triumphs. My all-time fave, though, was a lime green Kurt Cobain-style cardigan I got in the 11th grade for $2!

-Lindsey

The Good, The Bad, and The Potty: Otto Starts Toilet Learning and a Bunch of Awesome Moms Tell Us What They Thought About Their Kids' Training Potties

Otto Starts Toilet Learning; The Crowd [me] Goes Wild!

A few days ago Otto stood up during his bath and gave me a funny little look. He was standing in a funny little way and I just knew what was going down: he had to go potty. So I said, "do you want to sit on the toilet and go pee?" and he said, "da" (which means yes, though lately he's more likely to say "yeeeeyahhh" like he's from Chicago, which is freaking cute). Anyways, so I picked him up, plopped him on the toilet, held him there, and he peed! I can't even put into words how excited I was about this giant leap for Muth-kind!

The next day we made a special trip to Target to pick out a potty chair. Otto tried sitting on a few, and seemed to enjoy kicking it on the BabyBjorn, so that's what we went with.

That was a few days ago and I'm still riding the wave of potty excitement I felt during the bath incident! So far, though, the Bjorn potty has gone un-christened. We aren't pressuring Otto to use the potty at all. But it sits proudly in our bathroom, and Otto loves to just sit on it and play.

A Bunch of Awesome Moms Tell Us What They Thought About Their Kids' Training Potties:

I asked some moms I know from Twitter to share their reviews of the potty chairs they used for toilet training. Here's what real moms had to say about the popular toities on the market:

Heather from Mommy Knows Mess (Twitter @MommyKnowsMess) and the BabyBjorn:

I have an almost 5 yr old little girl so I'm not so new at the dreaded potty training adventures. Yet when I started the second go round with my little guy I was determined to find a good potty seat! When training my DD I found that the seats I purchased were awful to empty (not to mention about a handful of more problems). Not as easy as 1,2,3 that's for sure. When I saw the Baby Bjorn potty seat I fell in love. I knew he would love it since it was BIG and BLUE. It just screamed big boy seat to me.

Well and now.....nobody else can mess with his seat. He just loves it! As far as a mommy plus it's very simple to empty. I never have to clean up a mess with his potty.The bowl stays white,it's comfortable to him and granted there are no bells and whistles but let's face it.. It's a toilet and maybe we care more about the features than the kids. I wish I would have gotten my DD one. I feel like she would have loved the PINK one!

* It's simple, adorable (as a potty seat could be) and very well made !

***

Jenny from Mom to a Blessing (Twitter @momtoablessing) and the Boon Potty Bench:

When my daughter started potty training we looked everywhere for a potty chair I even looked up reviews online. Then we came across the Boon Potty Bench. We were not looking for just any potty chair either we needed to put into consideration that this potty chair was going to be used by a child with special needs who had limited mobility. So it couldn't be a potty seat adapter for the toilet. The fact that the Boon Potty Bench could be used as a step stool after kinda sold me, and the fact that it could be easily stored too. So we brought it home to try it out. Audrianna was sooo excited to try out the potty bench she was able to crawl over to it and lift the seat cover itself and turn herself around and sit on the potty, because it's wide she was able to slide herself over to position herself over the hole, which was great no accidents on the floor. She actually peed in it the very first time too and she was so proud of herself. She's 5 now and she's not completly potty trained yet and she has outgrown her potty bench she is just way to big for it. I would recommend it up til about age 3 unless your toddler is really tall. I am soo excited we held onto ours because we can use it for baby number 2 when shes big enough to start potty training. It also has the tray that slides out easily so u can dump the pee and poop in the toilet, there are side compartments one has a toilet paper holder so your little one can feel like he or she really is a big kid. It is easy to clean and doesn't take up a lot of space. I really don't have anything bad to say about the potty bench.

***

Jacqueline from Tales of the Wife (Twitter @talesofthewife ) and the Safety First Comfy Cushy 3-in-1 Potty Chair:

We bought the Safety First Comfy Cushy 3-in-1 potty chair at a local store when Poot started peeing in the big toilet. This seat gives the option of using it as a potty chair, using part of it on the toilet, or using it as a step stool.

We chose this seat so we didn't have to make the decision between a ring for the toilet or an actual seat. I also like that the ring he sits on is padded. You don't want an uncomfortable seat or the child won't sit on it.

However I don't recommend this seat especially for boys because the "guard" doesn't block his penis from spraying unless we mash it down and that can't be comfortable. He also has a difficult time getting onto the potty. If he just sits he isn't far enough back and misses the hole. We typically have to place him on the potty seat.

To make it work as a step stool you close the lid and stand on it. The closed lid doesn't feel very sturdy to me. The plastic gives when you stand on it. I guess I'm not supposed to be standing on it, but I had to test it out for him.
It serves its purpose but I would purchase a different seat. If you're on the fence about the donut for the potty or a seat, try both instead of this chair.

***

Shara from Mommy Perks (Twitter @MommyPerks) and the Generic:

When our daughter began to potty train we wanted to offer her the option of the big potty…or a floor model – whatever suited her fancy. We purchased a cheap potty from Walmart and paid around $14. The toilet is green on the base and white on top. The removeable seat inside can be used on the big potty if/when wanted. The toilet has been great! I’m sure there are fancier ones available (I’ve even seen toilets now that sing songs) but for us, this one has served it’s Potty Purpose just fine.

To see Shara's 21 Toilet Learning Tips, go to: http://www.examiner.com/x-22404-Rim-Country-Early-Childhood-Examiner~y2010m6d5-Potty-Training-Awareness-Month-21-tips

***

Rachael from Tutus and Tantrums (Twitter @TooTutuCute) and 4 Potties (Give This Girl a Medal, That's a Lot of Potty Training!): 

Safety 1st Musical Talking Potty & Stepstool 

It is supposed to ‘flush’ and play some music. ‘Supposed to’ because I couldn’t figure out how to attach the handle and music box correctly so we never used it. And when you close the lid it’s a great step stool. There is one big problem with this chair though, there is no cushion, it’s flat across and really uncomfortable to sit on. It is easy to empty though, because the there is nothing you have to take off to get the cup out. A little too easy since my daughter never used it as a potty and instead put snacks in it and dumped the cup out very frequently.

Safety 1st Pretty in Pink Comfy Cushy Potty

This was the special potty chair that my daughter picked out because it was pink! And it worked! She loved this chair and because it has a cushioned seat it was very comfortable to sit on. The downfall of the cushion is that, lets face it, kids don’t ever get it all in the toilet at first and the cushion would soak up any pee that landed on it. I tried everything, soaked it in lysol, bleach, you name it and still couldn’t get the smell out. The lid on this one also closes to make a great step stool. There aren’t any fancy sounds or songs but I think this one is great for comfort and price!

Elmo 3 in 1 potty chair

This is the seat that my son chose for his potty training. He LOVES Elmo. This Potty can be used as a Potty Chair, a Potty Seat on top of the toilet, and as a step stool. But, it takes some reconfiguring to change it up so we just kept it as a potty chair. I found that this seat is great for larger toddlers (my son is very tall/big for his age and his butt didn’t fit comfortably onto many of the other seats), and it’s also great for boys since the splash guard is large and covers the whole area making it less likely for them to pee OUT of the chair and onto the floor. Elmo is pretty cool too, when you press his hand he shouts out encouraging comments!

Of course my son quickly decided that he didn’t want to use a potty chair at all and wanted to use the big toilet like the rest of us which brings me to my last option: the potty ’seat’ that fits onto the top of the toilet.

Dora Potty Seat

I think potty ’seats’ are great for transitioning smaller bottoms onto the big toilet but they also are better in theory than they are in practicality. First, small children usually can’t get themselves up onto the potty so unless you have a stair contraption to help them get up, you will still have to do a lot of work to get them on and off the toilet. Also, it is really hard to position them on there just right and that usually means Pee on the floor! Probably not great for beginners but definitely something to consider for a skilled potty goer who may be slightly afraid of the big potty.

To view Rachael's entire review post, including "Other Tips on Toilet Training" check out her awesome blog here: http://rockonmommies.com/rachael/?p=836

***

Tracy from Sweet Harper (Twitter @sweetharper) and the Fisher Price Royal Stepstool Potty:

When our little guy was ready for potty training, I decided that I really just wanted the kind that you plopped on the toilet. I was trying to avoid the whole cleaning out the potty chair issue. I quickly realized that those potty seats that fit over the toilet seat are better for bigger kids. So, we went on a mission to Target. I was all about letting Jack pick out his own potty! He was instantly sold on the Fisher-Price Stepstool Potty because it makes music when you, ahem, fill it.

We got that potty home and it was out of the box and “in use”, literally within minutes-genius I tell you! The rest is history…but here are some important details.

Pros-It is just so exciting to use! Our guy loved waiting for the music and it was a fun positive reinforcement. The boy version has a splash guard that actually guards! The seat has handles on the sides, which helps the little ones find their balance. It can also double as a stepstool when closed, but we haven’t really used it as one since we already had one by the sink.

Cons-The only con I can think of is that the sensor for the music does wear out after extended use. It worked great for Jack and we recently got it out for our 18 month old daughter (mum’s the word on the fact that it’s the ‘boy’ version-I just popped off the splash guard, and she won’t know the difference). The sensor is a little more sensitive and sometimes goes off just upon her sitting down. Again, this is also after it has been thoroughly used by one child, stored, and used for another.

This potty chair worked so well for our son, and it’s about finding what works best for your individual child. Go Otto!!!

I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to each of these amazing moms for sharing their experiences with each of these chairs!

-Lindsey

Giveaway! Baby NasaKleen & Mama Nasaline - Breathe, Eat & Sleep Better! (Closed)

SQuiP manufactures a line of gentle, homeopathic and medically tested products that promote good health including nasal rinsing systems for adults, children, and infants. All parts of Baby NasaKleen are DEHP/phthalate, BPA and latex-free.

SQuiP provided us with a Nasaline nasal rinsing system and Baby NasaKleen nasal aspirator to review as well as one of each to give away! One of my close, wonderful mommy friends (Jennifer) agreed to do the reviews:

Jennifer's Review #1 - Nasaline Rinsing System (the adult one):

I had never used a nasal irrigator before. However, I took a quick glance at the large, colorful, and easy to understand instruction sheet, filled the Nasaline up, hummed ahhhh (which closes the back of your throat), and plunged away. Easy peasy, and it doesn't hurt a bit. The purpose of a nasal irrigator is to treat symptoms associated with allergies, sinus infections, colds, or the flu. It is a wonderful option especially if you don't like the side effects of decongestants or allergy medications, or if you are a pregnant or nursing mom and need to avoid those medications. The Nasaline also comes with 10 pre-measured packets of pure powdered salt to mix the optimal saline solution. This is important because a saline solution that is either too strong or too diluted can aggravate nasal congestion by causing the nasal membranes to swell. It probably takes a wee bit of practice to use the Nasaline perfectly. I experienced a little salty drip at the back of my throat, and some dripping from my nose afterwards. This is probably because I didn't take the time to make sure I blew my nose and tilted my head to get all the solution out. Overall though, I highly recommend the Nasaline.

Jennifer's Review #2 - Nasaline Baby NasaKleen

When we took Milo home from the hospital, we were prepared with one of the standard items every new parent purchases (or is given) -- the bulb syringe aspirator. What a terrible invention. It doesn't work worth a hill of beans and only leads to frustration and tears for all. Of course, there is no need for nasal aspiration except for when your baby is congested and feeling yucky -- which serves to exacerbate the frustration/tears scenario. Fortunately, when he was only a few months old, I found out about "snotsucker" devices. Baby Nasaline is a "snotsnucker" type of device. Snotsuckers consist of a nozzle, a plastic chamber with a hygiene filter, a tube and mouthpiece. You gently put the nozzle against your baby's nostril and, you guessed it, suck out the boogers. It is helpful if you don't really think about what you are doing and just trust the instrument. Which is fine, because then you can look at your baby and make sure he is doing okay while you entirely control the suction process, instead of pinning him down while trying to work that dumb bulb syringe. (Note: you may still need to pin them down, but eventually most babies realize that they feel much better after the snot has been sucked out -- unlike the useless hateful bulb syringe.)

I like the Baby NasaKleen because it has a soft silicone nozzle which would feel comfortable to a baby's nose (some snotsuckers have a hard plastic nozzle). The Baby NasaKleen also comes with a generous supply of replacement filters, well written and illustrated instructions, and a storage case. (Although, in my experience, because there is only one baby using the aspirator, a filter can be reused after being washed in very hot water and left to air dry.) Honestly, it will be quite a few years before your child will learn to blow his or her nose effectively, and until then, he or she deserves a snotsucker instead of a bulb syringe (did I mention that I think bulb syringes are a piece of crap?).

Can't Wait to Aspirate? You can buy SQuiP products online here.

Wanna Try to Win The Set? Read On...

Entry is easy! There is no mandatory entry but there are multiple opportunities to enter! Please remember to leave a comment for each entry to increase your chances.

* Comment your thoughts about nasal irrigation. Have you done it before? Does the idea make you nervous? Whatever it is, I'd love to know. And if you have questions, put them in your comment and I'll reply as best I can.

* Follow @squipUS on Twitter and comment, make sure to include your Twitter name.
 
* Tweet the following and then provide a link to your tweet. You can do this up to 3 times a day!
 
 Down with sinus congestion! I want to WIN Nasaline & Baby NasaKleen systems from @squipUS and @OttosMomBlogs http://ow.ly/2b80H #GiVeAwaY !  
 
* Visit the SQuiP website and tell me what other products you'd like to try or anything else interesting you find there.

Make sure we can reach you by including your email or Twitter name.

Giveaway ends 11:59pm Pacific Time on August 15. We will use Random.org to choose a winner.

Many thanks to SQuiP for contacting us to do this review/giveaway! We were not otherwise compensated. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and the lovely Jennifer's.

-Lindsey and Jennifer

Congrats to the winner of this giveaway Kim@ChubbyCheeksThinks with comment #48. I'll be contacting you via email and Twitter!

Air Travel Tips For Your Toddler (From a Survivor)!

My family and I just returned from our first long-distance trip with our 2 year old son. He would experience two firsts: flying on an airplane and sleeping somewhere “foreign”. I was so nervous about how Elliot would do on the airplane and how he would handle sleeping somewhere other than our house or grandma’s house. It turned out that all my anxiety was for naught. Here is a list of helpful tips that got us through our toddler’s first real vacation.

• You CAN take bottles of milk on the plane if you declare them while going through security! They take them aside and perform a quick test on them before sending you on your way.

• Pack his carry-on bag with toys, books, puzzles that are brand new and have him open them for the first time on the airplane.

• Bring plenty of snacks and have your child munching on something during take-off and landing. Chewing and swallowing helps with the change in altitude.

• Be patient and flexible about sticking to bed time.

• Allow them to “break” some of the rules too, like having ice cream at dinner (or for dinner!) After all, they are on vacation too and it should be fun!

• Managing the airport can be stressful, but if you keep your cool chances are your toddler will take your lead.

• Take advantage of airport play areas so your child can get out some energy before the flight. If there is no designated play area, take them for a walk before your flight so they’re less restless.

Even though travelling with little ones is a lot of extra work, it is also a lot of fun. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your child will be. So sit back and go with the flow! Enjoy your flight!

-Megan

Here's to Big Boy Beds! Smooth Transitioning From the Crib...

We recently decided to take the plunge and get rid of Elliot’s crib in favor of a toddler bed. Elliot has slept through the night since he was 2 months old, and up until recently had very consistent sleeping patterns. Just before his second birthday in April, he became more reluctant to fall asleep, and night after night he would cry and scream at bedtime. We decided maybe what he needed was a “big boy” bed.

Finding the right bed took some time; I spent a few hours looking at different beds online trying to get one that was cute but practical. We bought one at IKEA and after assembling it realized that you have to buy an IKEA-sized mattress to fit it; the crib mattress was too small, grrrr! Damn you, IKEA and your Swedish measurements! Finally we settled on a bed from good old Babies R Us.

"How do you get a toddler to sleep in a toddler bed?"

I wasn’t sure how to proceed….how do you get a toddler to sleep in a toddler bed? I had my husband assemble the bed and we left it in the living room for a day or two so Elliot could sit, lie, and play on it without feeling that it was a “threat” to his enjoyable crib life. Then I moved it into his room but didn’t insist he sit on it, I just wanted him to get used to it being there. Surprisingly, he took to it happily. He was very proud of his toddler bed and asked to sleep in it. So that day, at nap time, I went about our regular nap-taking routine and simply put him in his toddler bed. He was absolutely tickled about having the freedom to get in and out of it. He came out of his room a few times with the biggest grin on his face! He was so proud of himself! He said, “I’m supposed to be napping mommy!” Trying to hide my laughter I told him he needed to go lie down and take his nap. After two or three times of coming out to show me his cleverness, he finally fell asleep….in his toddler bed…..just like that.

It has been three days now, and we have taken apart the crib and put it in storage. He never asks about his crib or complains about his new sleeping arrangements. It is such a delight to wake up to his little face in mine, asking me to “wake up mommy!” I think that when it’s right for them to transition from a crib to a bed, they’ll let you know in their own special way, which is crying and throwing a fit at bed time; aren’t they little darlings? Our sleeping routine has become a lot less chaotic, and even though it takes a few times of turning him around and putting him back into it, the toddler bed has been a huge success in our family! Here’s to big boy beds!

-Megan

Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair Giveaway! CLOSED

 
! ! ! WIN ! ! !

a Stokke TRIPP TRAPP high chair from PamperedTot.com

Gah! So excited to host this awesome giveaway from the lovely folks over at PamperedTot.com - a "mom and pop" online retailer, specializing in providing "the world's finest for your most precious". The owners of PamperedTot are parents to a couple of way cute munchkins themselves and they were extra picky when choosing furniture, bedding, feeding supplies, bath supplies, etc. for their own kids - so they set up a shop to offer the best of the best all in one spot.

Stokke TRIPP TRAPP

When Peter Opsvik started to work on the award-winning TRIPP TRAPP, his aim was for children of all sizes to be able to sit in the natural way at the family table with their elbows at table height. The TRIPP TRAPP can actually grow with your child and holds up to 300 lbs!

A research study from Cornell University even found that the TRIPP TRAPP helps improve preschool children's functioning while sitting.

Pronunciation: I found out today that "Stokke" is pronounced "stoke-uh" so there you go.

Here's a pic of my chubby cheeked urchin scarfing down sunbutter waffles and blackberries in his TRIPP TRAPP (please focus on my darling munckin and rad high chair and ignore messy table).

Soooo, we bought our TRIPP TRAPP chair when Otto was 9 months old and we did not get the "Baby Set" attachment which makes the chair perfect for baby-babies, so at 9 months Otto was a little wobbly in it at first. I think if you plan on using this highchair for a baby under 1 year of age the "Baby Set" would be highly suggested otherwise you might want to wait a few more months.

By the time Otto turned 1 he was totally comfy and stable in the TRIPP TRAPP and he loves it! We have two highchairs, an inherited "traditional" chair and then the Stokke, and we totally prefer the Stokke now that Otto is a toddler. He loves it too; especially being able to play with his feet while at the table (sigh) so we always have to make sure to wash his hands AND feet before meals.

We did purchase a supplemental "Chair Cushion" and although that isn't necessary, it does add a nice amount of cushy comfort so I'd say it's worth investing in a cushion to go along with the chair. As you can see in the pics, we got a very stylish cushion in the style "Tales Green" that fits right into our Torkelson-style mishmash of a kitchen. The cushion wipes clean super-easily and we've also machine washed it several times and it still looks like new.

I've known the owners of PamperedTot for a while now and when it came time to get Otto's high chair I was dreammmming of a TRIPP TRAPP the way that some people dream of an Aston Martin or a date with George Clooney. Well, I did not get mine for free, but it was worth every cent and I did get a discount and free shipping (PamperedTot gives free shipping on all orders over $100 delivered in the US).

The Giveaway:

PamperedTot will send one lucky winner their own Stokke TRIPP TRAPP classic collection high chair! Please note that this giveaway is available for residents of the US or Canada only who are 18 years of age or older.

So Easy - Mandatory First Entry:

Kindly note that before you can do any additional entries, you MUST complete this step:

Visit PamperedTot.com, take a look around, then come back here and comment below on another item that you would love to call your own from their selection of fine baby gear, furniture, bedding, decor, feeding, bath, and toys.

Additional Entries:

- Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this page in your tweet. In your comment below make sure to put a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day - 1 per tweet - 30 mins apart or more please)

- Blog about this giveaway and in your comment leave a link to your blog post (4 bonus entries)

 Please Note:

Just remember to leave a comment for EACH entry. If you follow us on Facebook since that's worth 2 bonus entries make sure you leave 2 comments for that.

Make sure that I can reach you if you win - via email or Twitter. We will contact the winner on July 2 and they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or we will choose a different winner.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on July 5th. We will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest!

The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

Many thanks to PamperedTot for providing giveaway prize!

-Lindsey