Baby Gear

When my children got the go ahead to eat foods other then what was in their bottle, I was confused. I wanted to give them good, nutritional food, I didn’t want them to start off their life with preservatives and additives. I made some of my baby food and supplemented the rest with organic baby food.

You can buy a baby food mill to make your own baby food or just use a food processor like I did. Here are some tips to make your own baby food:

Wash your fresh vegetables or fruits well (you can also use canned fruit if you don’t have access or fresh)

Steam or boil the fruit or vegetables. Some fruit do not have to be cooked and can be just mashed like bananas.

Puree the fruit or veggies in a blender or food processor, or process with a food mill until the food reaches the right consistency. Very smooth for a child who is just starting on solids and thicker for a baby that is older and can maneuver food better in his mouth.

Strain the food to remove any stray peels or seeds. Some veggies or fruit you can peel first but the skins have a lot of vitamins in them.

Next spoon them into an ice cube tray to freeze. Once it is frozen you can put the individual pieces into a freezer bag to store. It will keep in your freezer for about a month.

Thaw individual servings when your child is ready to eat.

You can always check out some baby food recipes here or here or read about starting solids here.

[tags] infants, toddlers, starting solids, baby food, homemade baby food, making baby food, baby food mill, pureed baby food, feeding your child, parenting [tags]

We bring home our cute bundles of joy from the hospital and we are unaware that in a year or so they will all be Elmo freaks. I don’t know what it is about that red animal that all the kids just LOVE him? My twins were no exception, they just had to have everything with “melmo” on it.

Again, I know I will be singing the praises of Etsy, but I just love handmade, natural things and creative people. I have found a seller that can help many parents with their need of anything and everything Elmo. Check out this handmade Elmo purse. Crocheted with Red, White, Black, and Orange yarn and the eyes and nose have the 3D look. It measures 7 x7 and has a velcro closure that is easy for little hands. They also have a matching crocheted Elmo hat and shirt!

Maybe your baby is too small to dress up for Halloween but you want to do something, or maybe you don’t want to pay a ton of money for a costume for a baby. What about just a hat for the baby for Halloween? He or she could be shrek, a skeleton, big bird , a puppy or Oscar the grouch. These hats are adorable and unique for any reason, I will be buying some of these for my new baby. For $13.99 each they will not break the bank either!

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I just went to a first birthday party for my friend’s daughter. I struggled with what to buy her because, as a mom of four year olds, I forgot what toys or items one year olds like and are into. Of course a week after the birthday party I saw a commercial for these Crayola Beginnings products.

They wouldn’t be perfect for a twelve month old but in a couple of months she would love them. My husband and I believe in exposing children, no matter how young, to art and let them experiment. My children LOVE arts & crafts and can put foam stickers on paper, color or string beads on ribbon for hours. Crayola beginnings is a new line of creative products designed just for toddlers and has markers and crayons made for younger children with small hands.

First Marks won’t dry out and can be reactivated by simply dabbing them on a piece of paper several times, no caps to lose. They also have large coloring books that offer large coloring surfaces, since young children make large lines and broad, circular scribbles.
First beginnings also has triangular shaped crayons that are easier to grasp and will not roll off the table!

These would be great for children 18 months and up and especially younger siblings who want to color like their older siblings. No need for sharing.

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I am currently looking for baby gear to review. If you are a company that would like to submit something for my review please email me.
Right now, I am interested in reviewing baby slings or carriers, organic baby bedding, diaper bags and any maternity gear.

Email me directly if you are interested.

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The other day I was looking for bottles that were polycarbonate-free and were safe for my baby. I found glass bottles but I wondered if there was something else. I found these bottles from Adiri.

I have to say, they are great to look at. The Adiri nurser are made with a unique co-molded nipple and bottle body that prevents lost parts and assembly hassle. No need to buy any other parts!
It is designed like the breast so it would be perfect for nursing mothers that want to still be able to pump for their child. It also warms to a child’s cheek, like a breast, when filled with warm milk. Shaped like a breast, they encourage the same type of open-mouthed latching that is required for breastfeeding, making bottle and breastfeeding more easily interchangeable.

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Kids LOVE balls and they love ball pits. Children will spend hours in ball pits and I although i can see how much fun it can be, I get very grossed out by public ball pits. The drooling all over the balls, the dirty diapers and sick, sneezy kids make for a germ pit.
So I decided when my kids were about 18 months to buy a ball pit for our house.

This ball pit has four see- thru mesh panels for ventilation and so you can see your kids and they can see you. It has two roll down shades and even comes with a carrying bag. It pops up into shape in seconds. It includes 100 balls and you can order 100 more for $19.95.
This ball pit makes for a great tent or hideaway without any balls and is for kids of all ages. It is $59.95.
You can also find other toy reviews here.

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Now that we are pregnant with our last child, I am wondering what we need and what we have for this baby. Since we have boy/girl twins, we have many things that we saved from them and will not have to buy. Equipment is one thing we have plenty of, and some things we even have two of. I am debating whether to keep our old monitor or buy a new one since we now live in a larger home with two floors not a ranch style home like we did when we had the twins. I was thinking of investing in a monitor with a camera to eliminate the excess running up and down the stairs. Also for safety because I am paranoid like all mothers.

There are so many monitors on the market. I have seen at least three different camera monitors, ranging in price from $99.00 to $169.99. One of them has a small television monitor that you place in a central location, and the others have a screen on the portable monitor. They both seem great and received good reviews.
My Graco monitor is now 5 years old and I wonder how well it will do in this larger house. I will have to dig it out and see how many Mhz it has. I want to hear my baby crying but I also need privacy from my neighbors!

Do you have a monitor you love or that you would recommend?

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With all the news recently about plastics in our house and especially in our baby products that can cause genetic defects, it can really drive you crazy. The chemical in plastics is known as bisphenol A or BPA. It’s found in many of common products, mostly polycarbonate plastics. Nearly all plastic baby bottles in the U.S. are made of this kind. So are many food containers from take out, food storage containers and water bottles.

Some animal studies have linked BPA to low sperm count, hyperactivity, early puberty, obesity, small testes size, and enlarged prostates.
Now that I have a new baby on the way (announcement!) I am wondering if I should throw away all of our Advent bottles we had leftover from my twins, and we have a lot, and find something safer.

The only ones I can find so far are these glass bottles from wee go. They have a sleeve which is non toxic and will protect the glass and make it easier to hold. The plastic ring, plug and cap contain no polycarbonates and are food grade, FDA approved and recyclable. It comes in six colors.

I am not sure how I feel about glass bottles but really what choice do we have these days? Do you know of any other BPA free, non toxic bottles? It is really a case for breastfeeding every and all children.

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I am always looking for a cute onesie or shirt for my kids. I love original, soft, organic things, but sometimes cannot afford such things for kids who grow out of them so fast. If you read this blog with any frequency you will know I LOVE Etsy, not only supporting crafty people making homemade things but also because of its unique items.

This deer and toadstool tee or onesie is exactly what I love in kid’s clothing. It is hand silk screen printed using non-toxic water based ink on an organic cotton shirt. The onesie come sin 3-6 or 6-12 month sizes and the t-shirt comes in 2T or 4T.
They also have other animal print shirts for sale all for $26.00.

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We had just one carrier for our kids when they were infants. I can say I used it maybe once, because it was uncomfortable to use but I would love to try some slings or maybe this baby carrier. The PortaMEe child carrier is both cool and functional. With baby facing you, it keeps your posture proper and relieves pressure from your shoulders and back.

It looks very easy to wear, and has multiple pockets for your wallet and baby’s diapers. The adjustable shoulder strap has comfort gel padding, a cell phone pocket and a clip for keys or a toy. It can fold up and pack neatly into a matching drawstring tote to store easily in a diaper bag or car. You can also add an insulated bottle holder and hooded cape both of which are sold separately.

They come in two different fabric colors, brown/pink and brown/blue. It is made for children 5 months to 3 years with a maximum weight of 35 pounds and for $199.00 I would want to use it for all three years to get my moneys worth!

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So you have the baby and the baby gear including the ever present pacifier. If your child is anything like my daughter then they cannot be away from the pacifier for more then a minute the first year of life. She needed it to sleep, to comfort her and it was like her best friend. We had many pacifiers and back ups because losing it when we were outside the home was not an option!

This pacifier clip would have been a terrific for those times. We had pacifier clips that were attached to a big, bulky animal. This clip is sleek, safe and comes in nine different colors so you can buy one that will match every outfit. At $8.00 it will not break the bank either.

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