The Knot Genie

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!

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Chanukah 2012 Gifts in Review

It’s always interesting to see which gifts my kids request for Chanukah, which gifts they end up receiving and then which gifts they end up actually using and enjoying.  I tend to organize gifts into a few categories.  There are gifts they need, gifts they want, gifts they didn’t know they wanted, but end up loving, and gifts that make things easier for ME.  The gifts I give them usually fall under the first and last categories.  These are the clothes, pajamas, and new lunch boxes.  I also bought the girls lounge pillows for watching tv, because I was sick of them fighting over my breastfeeding pillow.  Even though these were things that the kids didn’t ask for, they all loved them.  Win-win. An extravagant gift that was requested was an American Girl doll by my five-year-old daughter.  She wanted one very badly (Caroline, to be specific).  So much so, that when the relative that had said she would buy one for her did not follow through, a different set of relatives knew how disappointed my daughter would be and ordered one on rush delivery.  Thank God there are eight days of Chanukah!  My daughter was thrilled when she received

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The Mother Tucker

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

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Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets

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

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Bumkins Bibs

After three kids and countless messy meals I have come to the conclusion time and time again that the absolute best bib in the world is that made by bumkins.  I have received many other bibs as gifts, and cute as they were, they could not stand up to the bumkins bibs.  These bibs fasten with velcro, so you’ll never accidentally snap your baby’s hair or neck fold.  What- you’ve never done that?  Yea, me neither…  They come in a variety of sizes, so your baby/child’s front is always covered.  I have found that the super bibs do a great job of covering my kids from six months on.  They have a pocket that catches virtually all spilled and dropped food.  I like to empty the pocket back onto the high chair tray when my baby is finished eating.  We call this “seconds!”  The material is waterproof, so the bibs can be washed in the sink and rung out to dry, or put straight into the washing machine.  The material is BPA, PVC, phthalates, and lead free.  What makes these bibs superb to other pocket bibs, is how soft and flexible they are.  They lay across the baby’s front and

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Aquaphor is Aquamore!

It seems silly to be writing an entire review of Aquaphor, and yet here I am, about to sing its many praises. As mentioned in a previous post, Aquaphor can be used to treat and prevent diaper rash. But its uses don’t end there! When my daughters were infants they both developed eczema. I tried all of the latest and greatest products recommended by friends and persuasive advertising campaigns, but nothing was quite doing the trick. Our pediatrician suggested we slather our itchy, dry-skinned babies with Aquaphor after every bath. Lo and behold, our little reptiles were transformed into supple, soft-skinned babies! Ever since, I have used Aquaphor not only to moisturize, but also to heal small scratches, and as a barrier between things that might cause friction/irritation to the skin. During the driest months of winter, I have even used it on myself. So the next time you consider the crème du jour, instead pick up a jar of Aquaphor.  Batsheva is a mom to two daughters ages four and almost two. In addition to reading her reviews on Baby Things, you can read about her mommy adventures at Late Night Feedings. 

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Top 10 Ways to Make Life Easier With a New Baby!

This post is dedicated to all my friends with new babies — Mazal Tov, and those who are expecting them — B’shaa Tova! Here’s my top ten ways to make your life easier with a new baby. Enjoy, and feel free to add your own! 1. Use disposables.No, it’s not environmentally friendly, but this has to be my number 1 tip for making life easier with a new baby. This tip applies for first time parents, and possibly even more so for those who’ve forgotten the first time round and are willing to do it again. No, you will not have time to wash up. You won’t even have time to load the dishwasher, and it’s unfair to leave than mountain of dirty dishes in the sink for Mr BTWDN (Mr Baby Things We Don’t Need) to do when he gets home from work. 2.  Get cleaning help.More environmentally friendly than tip number 1, but unfortunately also more expensive, a cleaner, or your mum if she lives nearby and is able and willing, will change your lives in those first few sleep deprived weeks from living in a hovel to living in a place suitable for all the new baby

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Educational and Fun Toys!

Now that the novelty of all of the new Chanukah toys has worn off, I have been able to observe which toys are truly up to par. These are two toys that my kids still love to play with, one month after receiving them. They meet all of my toy criteria: the kids think they are fun, they are educational, and they require minimal help from me. My almost-two-year-old loves her Garanimals Shapes Sorter: She was already adept at spatial intelligence, but this has really helped her fine tune those skills. It has also helped teach her colors and the name of the shapes. After helping her a few times and labeling each color and shape for her, she can now put all of the shapes back by herself, and in record time! My almost-four-year-old has been very busy learning with Alphie, a learning robot: He comes with 30 double-sided learning cards from which he asks questions about shapes, colors, animals and their habitats, cause and effect, vocabulary, and more. He uses fun games to promote independent learning. Plus, he’s a cool robot that says funny catch-phrases! Batsheva is a mom to two daughters ages four and almost two. In

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