Monday, February 27, 2012

Milk and Cookies

I need a boost - a boost in milk supply that is.  I always struggle with milk production as soon as my baby is around eight months.  It happened with my daughter and now with my son.  As with my daughter, I turned to my old favorite, fenugreek. Yes, it does make me smell like maple syrup, but it worked. However, I wanted to try something new. I don't know about you, but sometimes I just don't feel like popping ten pills a day. 

When I mentioned my supply issues to a friend, she told me about this new cookie that is supposed to increase milk supply. Of course, I had to check it out. I googled "breast milk cookies" and discovered Milkmakers.

How does it work?  These cookies contain three special ingredients to help increase milk production - oats, brewers yeast, and flax seed.  The Milkmakers website boasts that eating only one or two a day has shown to increase milk production.  So, of course, I placed an order and was amazed with how great they tasted {I ordered the oatmeal chocolate chip}.  I also saw results!  So, if you are looking for a quick boost, check out Milkmakers cookies.  I think you {and your baby} will be happy! 



Sunday, February 19, 2012

Babies, bottles & bubbles

I am busy mentally {and physically} getting myself ready to have a third child. Does it really take that much mental preparation you might ask? If you've had the type of pregnancies I have had, you would know the answer to that question.

The easiest part of that preparation is picking out products and clothes for this aspirational baby #3 {okay, maybe that's not part of it, but it's fun anyway}.  I was excited to stumble across a new brand/type of baby bottle called Bare Bottles.

I am a huge proponent of breastfeeding, but every mommy needs a break every now and then {and daddy wants to participate too}.  So I'm always on the lookout for bottles that support breastfeeding.  The other feature I look for is a bottle that successfully reduces or eliminates the amount of air the baby takes in. There is nothing that drives sleep-deprived parents to new depths than colic. Indeed, I don't even utter the c-word in my house during those first 3 months.

They are not on the market yet, but these Bare Bottles sound as if they will meet all of my {and baby #3's} need. The diagram above shows how the Bare Bottle nipple is more like a breast than most bottles. And they claim to have created "air-free feeding"! If they live up to all of their claims, this sounds like the mother of all bottles {and they are cute too!}. But we'll let baby trip be the judge.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

One of my greatest passions is fashion!  I simply love looking at beautiful clothes.  Last year, my husband and I took my daughter to the National Museum of American History in Washington DC.  The museum had an entire room dedicated to showing all the gowns that were worn by the First Ladies.  Needless to say, I would have been quite happy spending my entire time in that room while my husband wanted to check out, as you would expect, the sports and leisure room.

Given this slight obsession with cute clothes, I, naturally, am always looking for cute clothes for my daughter.  Last year, I stumbled upon a line that I fell in love with and I continue to stalk Zulily waiting for one of their sales.  The line is called Red Fish Clothing.  Their website provides the best description of their clothing line:

Designed and constructed for growth, movement, and versatility, the simple lines of Redfish Kids Clothing are easily layered and worn together. Using durable, pre-washed materials, Redfish Kids Clothing satisfies kids need for comfort while addressing mom's need for durability, design and value.

This description basically says it all.  But, let me add that what I love most about this line is the shapes, fit, and use of color.  The "Party Dress" is a perfect example of everything I love about their collection:


The Lucky Dress is also a favorite:


Whenever I have a special occasion to attend with my daughter, I always check out this line.  These are special dresses perfect for an important event.  

To view the entire Redfish line, you can go to their website.  Note: Redfish is a Canadian company but they ship to the United States.  Alternatively, the line is also sold at Spunky Sprout and Zulily (on occasion).  So, if you ever have an occasion where you want your daughter to dress to impress, check out Redfish, you can't go wrong!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

You had me at "how do you close this thing?"

L.O.V.E.
I just returned from {a much needed} vacation and I now can truly say...I love my stroller. Not just love, in love, infatuated, soul-mated to my stroller. I once {back in '07} thought I was in love...with a Bugaboo. But now I know that was merely young lust. Once you've mated with a stroller, you know all those that came before it were simply a distraction. Love like this doesn't come around every day {well, until the next great stroller comes out.}

Okay, okay enough with the metaphors. Here is what sold me, and has kept me, in love with my CityMini. And if you are a parent, a grandparent or even a caretaker, you will understand why I fell hard for this one:


Perfection!

If you've ever struggled to close any stroller with packages in one hand, or a screaming baby in another hand, or both, you'll understand how beautiful the CityMini's quick close feature is.

As I was waiting to go through customs after a 5+ hour flight home, trying to corral my sleep deprived 4 year old, hold my completely knocked out 1.5 year old and make sure our luggage wasn't picked off, I folded and unfolded {just as amazing} this bad boy too many times to count. And every time I was able to flick it open and close and move in and out of places, I fell deeper and deeper in love.

But don't take my word for it. Love is best experienced in person:


Saturday, December 10, 2011

The gift that truly keeps on giving

TEGU
The Tegu Story from Tegu on Vimeo.

I found these guys on Open Sky {one of my new addictions} and after watching the video above I instantly fell in love with their story and products. I am always on the hunt for non-plastic or recyclable/eco-friendly toys and ones not made in China {no offense to the Chinese, but they know what kinds of products they are making}.

These toys fit both of these requirements. And, to sweeten the purchase, for every toy you buy, Tegu will plant 12 trees in Honduras or fund one day of school for a child who would otherwise work on a trash dump near Tegucigalpa. The products are simple. But simple is best for little ones. It helps ignite their imagination and unleash creativity. Wooden blocks are a staple for any kids toy box, but even more so when they are young like my little ones {1 and 4}.  It can be quite frustrating when they fall over so easily!  

Tegu's blocks fix that little problem because each piece is magnetized. So after your little one has concentrated so hard to build the best castle possible, it won't be instantly ruined when his/her little brother/sister comes and tries to knock it down {we call Little J the Block Monster}


Watch the video, it's a must see. Check out their products. And buy a gift that won't just end up as another toy box casualty.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Baby It's Cold Outside

It is finally starting to feel like Winter. In some ways, I love the thought of wearing cute coats with matching scarves and hats while drinking a Starbucks Eggnog Latte. However, I do miss the ease of dashing out of the house without having to worry about outerwear. And, without worrying about keeping my son warm. My daycare provider recently reminded me that it is probably a good idea to dress my son in shoes or booties to keep his feet warm. So, it is time to retire the cute Trumpette socks and invest in some cute baby booties. When I had my daughter, I loved the Zutano booties. They NEVER fell off and came in cute colors and styles. I think I may need to place an order from some soon.


Diapers.com has the cozie Zutano Booties in navy, pink, fuchsia, and light blue on sale now for $16.00! Unfortunately, they only go up to size 12 months. They are also available at Comfy Kid. I have ordered from them before and they ship very fast!


Robeez Booties ($36.00)
I also found these cute booties:












North Face ($30.00)
Here are some other options:
Polo Bootie ($30.80)



Ministar Booties ($19.99)





Happy Holidays....and keep those baby footsies warm!