Parenting: when sick gets real

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Carter's Sibling ShirtsI’ve got three little kids, all of whom have independent schedules and loads of interaction with other kids. This basically means that cold and flu season is a constant struggle to stay healthy, and to minimize any illness that hits home. This year has been especially bad and there hasn’t even been one day that the kids’ classes were full or there weren’t a few last-minute playdate cancellations due to illness. 

I can’t have them live in a bubble or sanitize every surface they *might* touch, so what’s a parent to do? I want to make sure they can see and play with their friends and not miss out on crucial lessons, but I definitely don’t want them bringing home every little sniffle that goes through their classes. Awesome Science Party friends 2To combat illness, we implement these basic rules for keeping healthy:
1)    Wash hands frequently, and make sure kids know how to wash properly.
2)    Staying home when we’re sick – no need to send the illness around the school, family, or playground.
3)    Keep a good routine. With healthy amounts of activity, good diets, and plenty of sleep, we manage to avoid quite a few illnesses a year.

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How to throw an awesome science party for kids

Awesome Science Party tableI’ve never been great at birthday parties. Usually, I slap together an event with a loose theme and some character plates chosen by the kids and then order a few pizzas. I was prepared to do exactly that this summer when I was asked by my science-loving kiddo to throw a “science birthday party” with a very vague description of what that actually was.Awesome Science Party friends So, I got to searching “science birthday party” online. And, you know what I found? There are almost no science themed birthday plates or accessories that make sense for a young child. Luckily, my family loves a challenge, so they convinced me it would be a great idea to throw together a science themed party with absolutely no party store help. No “science” plates, no themed tablecloth, no activity kit to order. Awesome Science Party signMy goal was to throw such an amazing party that it would hopefully get me off the hook for throwing any of my kids a party for the next 5-10 years. I’ll let you know how that goes, but in the meantime I’m going to show you my take on a science party and share some printables I made up. Awesome Science Party veggies

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Britax Frontier ClickTight Harness to Booster Seat review

Sponsored post Britaax ClickTight smile
It’s a big time in our house! Baby girl has finally reached a really big milestone: she outgrew her infant seat and it’s now time to switch her to a rear facing convertible seat.

But, the problem is that we have three young children in car seats and we own a compact sedan. Knowing what a tight fit the infant car seat had been, I was dreading moving her to an even bigger seat because it was clear it just wasn’t going to work. We looked into numerous convertible seats to transition her to, but they were all just too big.

It began to look like we had two options: 1) buy a new car, or 2) switch my almost 6 year old to a booster seat. Obviously, neither option appealed to me. So, I began to research anything and everything to fit three across in our compact sedan.

When I found the Britax Frontier ClickTight, I realized that it just might be the best of all worlds – a 5 point harness that converts to a booster seat and is slim enough to fit in a compact car easily. With the dimensions of 19" W x 36" H x 21" D at its maximum and only 28” H at minimum, it’s one of the slimmer car seats we found anywhere, and by far the slimmest with the features we were looking for. Add in the fact that it converts and can be used by my son until he no longer needs a seat and it’s the clear choice.

As soon it arrived, the kids went crazy celebrating their “big switch”.Britax Frontier ClickTightSorry, baby girl. This is your brother’s seat. Your new-to-you Britax convertible seat will hopefully be just as exciting.

 

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Gearing up for a safe and fun summer with SafeSplash Swim School

Sponsored post SafSplash Swim LessonsI’m sure you’ve seen all the articles circulating about drowning, and how it doesn’t look like what you think it does. I saw an article about the dangers of drowning a few years ago and promptly purchased some life jackets for all the kiddos because there is no way I can keep them out of the water when we spend our summers at lakes, rivers, pools, and beaches.

So, for the past few years they have been safe, yes, but unfortunately they haven’t gained any actual swimming skills. I knew I needed to get them out of their jackets and was thrilled when I heard about SafeSplash, a company that believes swimming is a life skill. I love this concept and I couldn’t agree more about the importance of learning swim skills. SafeSplash swimming is a life skill

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Make your Oribel PortaPlay even more amazing with two awesome new accessories

Sponsored postI’ve said before how much I love our PortaPlay Convertible Activity Center from Oribel. We’ve had it for a year now and it’s still one of my favorite items we got for our little one. This is because the PortaPlay bouncer/activity table isn’t just for babies. The PortaPlay converts as baby’s needs change, so what started out as a bouncer/exersaucer for baby becomes a toy-covered or flat-topped activity table that can be used for years.  Oribel table and chairsAfter almost a year of use as a bouncer, we recently converted the PortaPlay to an activity table and my new little walker was super excited to walk around the table and play with the toys from a new angle. And then when the newest Oribel accessories arrived and we converted the PortaPlay to a flat-top art table, she was super excited to use the PortaPlay with her favorite dolls and toys.Oribel PortaPlay toddler activity station

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Taking care of me with Nature Made

This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as a part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I know most of you reading are parents, so you’re well versed in the art of caring for others. But, ask yourself one question: what ways do you care for yourself? I’m not talking about cruising through a … Read more

A teddy bear that is changing the world: Bears for Humanity

Sponsored post Can a teddy bear change the worldOn my 30th birthday I got hit by a drunk driver on my way home from renewing my driver’s license with my two small children. While the driver who hit us sped off, our car bounced around the freeway, sliding across loose gravel, and straight into a guard rail, narrowly missing a 30 foot drop.

Eventually, our car ended up in oncoming traffic where kind passersby helped push our car off to the side while we waited for the emergency responders to check us over and assist us. My husband arrived in just minutes to escort us off the freeway and together we got the car to the state patrol’s office to get the accident paperwork.

We were met by two officers upon our arrival at the office parking lot, each holding a teddy bear for our young children. Even just the sight of them standing there holding those bears brought me to tears, and it was in that moment that I understood that teddy bears sometimes are much more than a simple toy. Sometimes they remind you just how much good there is in the world just when you need it most. Our interaction that night with the troopers took just minutes, but I will never forget their kindness to me and my kids that evening.

Sure, there are 30th birthdays ruined by someone having too much fun drinking and not enough sense to utilize public transportation or taxi services. But, there are also passersby who put their lives in danger to save people they don’t even know, and sometimes there are state patrols who hear of young children involved in a serious car accident and take the time out of their busy day to surprise those kids with teddy bears when they need a little comfort. 

Partners-6Bears for Humanity understands that a teddy bear can make all the difference in the world to a child in difficult circumstances. That’s why when you buy one of their gorgeous bears they will send an identical bear to a child who needs it through a number of reputable charitable organizations that you can select from as you buy.

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Adventure approved gear for little travelers from Wildkin

Sponsored post Wildkin off to see the worldIt’s a big day in our house – our oldest has made the transition from kid suitcase to real-deal “luggage”. This has been on my list to do for years now as her tiny going to grandma’s style suitcase has proven to be too tiny for all her clothing and gear as well as accommodating her natural ability to collect treasures wherever we go.

Her beat up old suitcase has been all over the world with us, but it was time to retire it for something that can hold more than a few changes of clothing and a book. Ideally the replacement would be wheeled so she wasn’t stuck carrying it across airports, colorful and fun so it would be fun to take with us, and it would grow with her so we won’t have to buy yet another suitcase in just a few years.

Our solution? Wildkin bags, backpacks and suitcases that have all the fun designs I love while still being uber practical and easy to travel with. Wildkin portrait

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Children’s beds made fun and functional with Cuckooland

Sponsored postFor the past few years, I’ve been researching bed solutions for my growing family and have come to one conclusion: people put a whole lot more thought into the crib that they will buy their little one to sleep in for a matter of months than they do the bed they will grow up in.

It’s true. There are numerous companies devoted to helping you design a baby nursery and pick your baby’s bed, but there is very little help once you are ready to graduate your child to a big kid bed. I guess you’re just supposed to go to a traditional furniture store and pick one of the 5 boring beds they stock and call it good. Well, there’s one company that thinks that kids beds should be cooler than that. Way cooler.

Cuckooland-logo-gifts

Meet the British commerce site Cuckooland.com, the coolest way to make your child’s room the stuff dreams are made of. Delivering all the wow factor I have been searching for in kids furniture, their line of children's bedroom furniture will have grownups as well as the kids wanting to daydream in a treehouse bunk bed or make believe the day away with a playhouse bed for sleeping and playing in. Cuckooland_Lifetime_Childrens Tree House Cabin  Bed_Lifestyle_LRPart bed, part art, and part play space, these extraordinary children's beds make it possible to create a gorgeous place for sleep and for play that is only limited by your imagination.

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