Baby Things I Want

My daughter has long, straight, thick, soft hair that tangles easily.  Until recently, brushing her hair was a painful experience for us both.  She saw a commercial for the knot genie, and asked if we could try it.  Since the first time we used it, brushing her hair has finally been a breeze!  The brush glides through her hair easily because of the amount and various lengths of the bristles.  Its shape makes it easy for my daughter to hold so that she can brush her own hair.  There is no more screaming in my house…  at least not from hair brushing!

by Chava Kovacs, Stroller ExpertSometimes, buying a stroller is like the proverbial Chinese food meal where you are hungry an hour later. Soon after I buy a new stroller, I find myself wanting to buy another one… craving features and functions that my new stroller doesn’t have. This is how I wound up with two triple strollers.Not long after I wrote an article about searching  Valco Baby Double for the perfect way to transport 3 small children, I found a great deal on a used Valco Baby Double Trimode with the ‘Joey seat‘ to make it a triple. This stroller is sturdy and maneuverable with deep reclining seats for little ones to lay flat and sleep comfortably. The third seat is strong enough for a 20 kilo toddler although I wasn’t so happy with how exposed the child in the third seat was. It is possible to buy a Valco Baby Joey sunshade for it…or buy a sunhat for your child. Like many larger-sized strollers out there, the Trimode has nice big tires…filled with air!!! After several punctures, I had the guy at the bicycle store fill the tube with puncture-resistant stuff (‘chomer’) and put a rubber liner (‘goomi’) between the inner tube and the tire and I never

I was recently asked for gift suggestions for one-year-olds. So here you go! 1. Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks — These are probably the most played with toys in our house. My 1.5-year-old and my 3.5-year-old enjoy playing with these. Building towers, knocking them down — you know how blocks work.  2. Musical Table — If you can handle the noise, then these are fun, learning toys. Ours (the Leapfrog Learn & Groove Musical Table) has removable legs (so you can play on the floor) and  ou can adjust the sound so it’s not too loud. I’m sure they’re all pretty much the same.  3. Kitchen + Play Food — We have a small one, the Little Tikes Cupcake Kitchen, but I do have to say that if you have the space, a larger one is better, though for our space, this one is perfect. In terms of play food, wooden food or high quality plastic ones are MUCH better than the Made in China alternatives. Cheapo plastic food breaks easily. Melissa & Doug make excellent wooden food.  4.Dolls + Doll Stroller — A one-year-old (once s/he can walk) will love pushing around a stroller. You can also get a doll with a bottle and play food

This is such a good idea. There are so many products that are designed to shield the baby and the stroller from rain, but not the stroller pusher. And it’s really hard to hold an umbrella when you’re pushing a stroller. So here is the solution: The Bumbershoot Umbrella. It attaches on to the stroller handle and is a huge, full-coverage umbrella.

During my last pregnancy I read that some celebrities used- and swore by- the belly bandit, a postpartum compression garment worn to help shrink your middle (belly and hips) back to their pre-pregnancy size.  I did some research, and decided that it was worth a try.  Because I nurse exclusively, I decided to buy the mother tucker, a compression tank top that would give my middle the support I wanted, while also providing easy nursing access.  Per the website’s instructions, I wore the mother tucker continuously.  I only took it off to shower and wash it.  I have to say: it did work.  My main concern was looking good at my son’s bris.  After wearing the mother tucker for a week straight, my middle did look thin.  (My face, arms, and butt probably did not, but what can you do?)  After another week, I stopped wearing it continuously, but wore it with certain clothing and for certain times that I wanted to look my best.  Even now, although I have lost all of my pregnancy weight, I still wear the mother tucker from time to time because it’s a great piece of shape wear.  I would definitely recommend the mother

There are several different types of receiving blankets on the market, and I may have tried them all.  There are receiving blankets that are thermal, flannel, cotton, small, large, and everything in between.  My main criterion for receiving blankets is that they successfully swaddle my newborn.  This seems simple, yet many blankets do not do the trick.  Some are too small to wrap my baby into a tight burrito.  Some are too thick and hot; making my baby sweat.  Some- including the swaddle-me wraps- just don’t contain my little Houdini. A couple of years ago I started seeing aden + anais blankets everywhere I looked.  They seemed promising, but expensive.  Then I started seeing them on bargain sites.  I decided to see what all of the hype was about.  Not only did they successfully swaddle, but they became a staple of mine for their myriad of other uses. They are thin, so they fold small enough to keep in my purse, but they are large enough to be used as blankets for my older kids too!  I have also used them as nursing covers, burp cloths, tummy time blankets, diaper changing surfaces, and towels.   They are soft, breathable, and come